energy transition
More and more hydrogen electrolyzers planned
Many hydrogen production plants are expected to be built in Germany by 2030. There are a lot of plans, but construction has only been finalized for a few plants, a new study finds.
Eon: Only a few projects have been finalized
Eon was cautious about the numbers. There is a large discrepancy between planned projects and final investment decisions, said Germany’s largest energy supplier and distribution network operator. “Of the 88 announced projects, a final investment decision has only been made for 16 projects with a planned generation capacity of 0.3 gigawatts – and therefore for only around three percent of the announced electrolysis capacity.” The group sees insufficient funding, strict requirements or late funding commitments as possible obstacles to final investment decisions. “In addition, there is currently a lack of transport and storage infrastructure.”
Installed capacity in Germany is only 66 megawatts
“Germany is only at the beginning of a long journey when it comes to ramping up hydrogen,” emphasized the managing director of the hydrogen subsidiary Eon Hydrogen, Gabriël Clemens. The clear upward trend initially looks good in theory. “In practice we are still a long way from our goal.” In February, the already installed generation capacity was 66 megawatts, or 0.066 gigawatts.
Hydrogen produced in a climate-neutral manner should play a central role in the future economic system. As an energy source, it is intended to generate electricity in new gas power plants when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. In industry, for example, it is intended to replace carbon in steel production and thus avoid large amounts of climate-damaging carbon dioxide. The waste product is simply water.