Speaking at the presentation of the plans, Michael Westhagemann, Senator of Economics, remarked: "Hydrogen offers Hamburg, an important industrial centre, great opportunities for strengthening economic performance, as well as value creation and boosting the quality of life. For decades, Hamburg has been able to rely on a diverse and committed field of actors in the hydrogen sector. By linking hydrogen to the established and successful EEHH cluster, we want to use important synergies to give these players common ground and to push ahead at full speed with the development of a green hydrogen sector in Hamburg."
Links with successful Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster (EEHH) sought
A new Hamburg Hydrogen Cluster is set to link up stakeholders in the sector and will enhance the Renewable Energy Hamburg Cluster (EEHH), the senate announced Monday (February 22, 2021). The Ministry of Economics and Innovation and the EEHH cluster will host a virtual kick-off event for stakeholders in both sectors on March 26, 2021. This comes against the backdrop of the North German Hydrogen Strategy, the Climate Plan and the Coalition Agreement under which Hamburg is pursuing the decarbonization of the port, industry, logistics and air transport as well as the development of a competitive green hydrogen sector. Hopes are now high that Hamburg's aim to to become a leading centre of hydrogen will lead to fruition.
Expansion of EEHH cluster
Hydrogen taking priority
Established in 2010, EEHH now has 50 members and around 200 member companies in the renewable energy and energy supply sectors as well as suppliers and service companies. Hydrogen is to stem mainly from environment-friendly electricity. To this end, value creation is to be built up in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. The second strategy level foresees imports of green hydrogen. It will be prioritized for decarbonising industrial and chemical companies and for heavy-duty road transport, shipping and civil aviation.
Jan Rispens, Managing Director of Erneuerbare Energien Hamburg GmbH, remarked: "The ambitious expansion of renewable energies in the form of onshore and offshore wind energy, solar energy, but also bioenergy and geothermal energy is and remains the basis of the future hydrogen sector. Many of our members are already bridging the sectors by building wind or solar farms and are achieving the first pilot projects of a hydrogen sector. The present regulation of the electricity market must be greatly improved to achieve the necessary economies of scale here in northern Germany with sufficient domestic green electricity."
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