Competitiveness of the Business Location
Transformation to Climate Neutrality
Security of Supply/Resilient Energy Supply
What is Needed to Achieve this?
We are already committed to an affordable and rapid ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. For this to be sustainably successful, the right political framework is needed:
Centralized Measures for the Hydrogen Ramp-Up:
1. Increasing the Supply of Hydrogen through Pragmatic Approaches
2. Effective Instruments to Boost Hydrogen Demand
3. Establishing Germany as a Hydrogen Hub
These measures are helping to successfully establish hydrogen as a key component of the energy transition.
The Hydrogen Germany Initiative is intended to communicate across national borders how attractive the German hydrogen and distribution, but also what expertise we are prepared to pass along or export. After all, hydrogen's role in climate protection is a global issue.
Hydrogen and its derivatives are crucial components for a greenhouse gas-neutral future. Now it is important to accelerate the hydrogen economy with full force and combined efforts.That is exactly what we are working on – and that is why we are a proud partner of Hydrogen Germany.
The rbv supports the Hydrogen Germany business alliance in order to consistently promote the hydrogen ramp-up in a broad alliance. We need hydrogen to achieve the climate targets. We use it to secure jobs and ensure a stable energy supply.
Germany needs a high-performance hydrogen grid. With the planned core grid, the transmission system operators are creating the basis for a functioning market. Now investments must also be made by producers and users. As FNB Gas, we are committed to Hydrogen Germany because the hydrogen ramp-up can only succeed if we work together.
As the leading European platform for open innovation in the hydrogen industry, we unlock the potential for innovation throughout Europe for Germany as an H2 and energy location. Hydrogen Germany is an important platform for making the strengths and assets of this location visible and helps to "get the ball rolling".
Without hydrogen, a greenhouse gas-neutral and competitive industry will not be possible.
Hydrogen can only be effective in combination with other energy sources. This is why BDEW is involved as a partner of Hydrogen Germany: for innovation and technologies that intelligently combine the worlds of electricity and gas.
Hydrogen is Europe's answer to geopolitical dependencies. Those who build supply chains today will secure tomorrow's supply security, industrial jobs, and global influence in the energy system of the future.
Hydrogen is the key to the industry's transformation. Right now, flagship projects are already showing the way forward – now we need pace and investment to scale up and make Germany the leading hydrogen nation.
For over two decades, the Deutsche Wasserstoff-Verband has stood for technical expertise, strategic foresight, and a broad network along the entire value chain. As a strong voice for the industry, the DWV is contributing its positions and experience to the “Hydrogen Germany” campaign. Together, we are effectively driving forward the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy in Germany.
The safe handling of hydrogen has been proven. At figawa, we use this basis together with our member companies to promote use through expertise and technical solutions, thereby supporting the energy transition. That is why we are delighted to be a partner of the Hydrogen Germany initiative.
Germany will play a leading role in the hydrogen economy in the coming years – but domestic demand will far exceed its own production capacity. This means that, in addition to hydrogen production in Germany, we will also rely on significant imports to supply industry with renewable and decarbonized hydrogen and to sustainably transform the energy supply.
A large proportion of the hydrogen of the future will come from neighboring European countries and global partners. Large-scale pipeline projects to transport hydrogen to Germany are already underway. For example, the H2Med project will connect Spain and France with Germany in the future. It is expected that up to two million tons of hydrogen per year can be imported from southern Europe. From North Africa via Italy to Central Europe, up to four million tons of hydrogen per year are expected to come via the SouthH2 Corridor in the future.
In addition to these European import routes, hydrogen will also come to Germany from overseas. In the future, hydrogen-based energy carriers such as ammonia or synthetic fuels will also be imported by ship via existing and planned LNG terminals on the coasts to meet growing demand.
Establishing these international hydrogen partnerships is crucial to establishing Germany as a leading hydrogen nation – with a secure, diversified and sustainable supply.
As a key player in the energy transition, SEFE builds bridges for the hydrogen trade between global producers and European consumers. Together with partners such as Höegh Evi, ACWA Power, and Eletrobras, SEFE is developing innovative import and transport solutions that support the establishment of international hydrogen supply chains. These international partnerships are an important step toward establishing hydrogen as a cornerstone of the energy transition and contributing to a stable supply of hydrogen for industry.
AquaDuctus is a planned offshore hydrogen pipeline under the AquaVentus initiative and is intended to transport hydrogen produced from offshore wind power in the North Sea to the European mainland. As an “Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI),” it is intended to contribute to the development of a cross-border hydrogen infrastructure and connect European production and consumption centers.
A highly efficient transport and distribution grid is needed to make hydrogen widely available for industry, mobility and energy supply. The Federal Network Agency has approved the hydrogen core grid proposed by the transmission system operators. It comprises 9,040 kilometers of pipeline, which is to be put into operation in stages by 2037.
56 percent of the core grid will consist of converted natural gas pipelines, while 44 percent will have to be newly constructed. The estimated investment costs amount to 18.9 billion euros. This core grid forms the basis for a secure hydrogen supply in Germany and ensures a direct connection to the European import corridors.
The majority of commercial and industrial customers will be supplied with hydrogen via the distribution grid, along with many public and combined heat and power plants. The existing gas distribution grid, which is over 560,000 kilometers long, is already largely “H2-ready” and can be converted to operate with hydrogen.
In addition to the pipeline infrastructure, hydrogen storage facilities play a crucial role. In salt caverns – for example in Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony-Anhalt – hydrogen is stored in large quantities. These storage facilities make it possible to balance supply and demand and ensure a reliable supply even in the event of production or transportation bottlenecks.
The H2ercules Initiative aims to create the centerpiece for Germany’s hydrogen infrastructure in XXL format by 2030. To this end, OGE, RWE and, in the future, other partners are working together across the entire value chain to be able to quickly supply consumers in southern and western Germany with hydrogen from northern Germany.
The regional suppliers ENTEGA AG, Mainova AG, ESWE Versorgungs AG and Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden AG have joined forces with other partners to develop a regional hydrogen distribution grid. The first sections of this approximately 300-kilometer-long grid are to be put into operation from 2028. Local distribution of hydrogen is scheduled to begin in 2032: This involves a gradual conversion of the existing infrastructure from natural gas to the full use of hydrogen.
Gasunie’s Hyperlink project is an initiative to develop an extensive hydrogen grid in northern and western Germany. The aim of the project is to create a 660-kilometre infrastructure that connects important industrial regions and enables hydrogen imports from the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway.
Hydrogen Pilot Cavern (HPC) Krummhörn is a pioneering Uniper project for storing hydrogen in a specially created salt cavern. It makes an important contribution to the development of large-scale storage solutions. Trial operation began in 2024, with the aim of achieving a storage capacity of up to 600 GWh by 2030.
The transition of local gas distribution grids to renewable or decarbonized gases, such as hydrogen, plays a central role in the energy transition. Energie Südbayern, Energienetze Bayern and Thüga are leading the way with the H2Direkt project: in fall 2023, they converted an existing local grid with connected private customers in Hohenwart, Bavaria, to 100 % hydrogen for the first time in Germany. Since then, ten households and one commercial customer have been supplied with H2 via the repurposed grid. On a small scale, but in practice and with success, H2Direkt is demonstrating how the conversion of today’s fossil gas supply to a hydrogen supply can be achieved. And this is possible in principle for all customer groups from households, trade and industry.
Flow – making hydrogen happen is an essential part of the German hydrogen core grid. The first sections of the high-capacity pipeline system have been ready for hydrogen since 2025. It provides transportation options for the industrial use of hydrogen. Hydrogen can replace fossil raw materials and fuels, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions—depending on its production, supply chain, and application.
Germany needs an innovative, technologically advanced and greenhouse gas-neutral industry that can continue to compete economically on the global market in the future. The use of hydrogen offers the industry enormous potential for reducing CO2 in its energy-intensive processes.
Today, 1.8 million commercial and industrial customers are connected to the gas distribution grid – an existing infrastructure that can play a crucial role in the future supply of low-carbon hydrogen.
Hydrogen is a important building block for the decarbonization of industry – especially in sectors where direct electrification is technically or economically difficult to implement. Depending on how it is produced and used, hydrogen can replace fossil raw materials and fuels and reduce industrial emissions. Key areas of application include:
Chemical industry: Many chemical processes, in particular the production of ammonia and methanol, require large quantities of hydrogen. Currently, this mostly comes from fossil sources (gray hydrogen). If it is replaced by hydrogen, the production and supply of which result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions, the associated emissions from chemical production will also decrease.
Cement and glass production: In high-temperature processes where temperatures of over 1,000 °C are required, hydrogen can replace fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions from combustion. CO2 emissions released from the raw material during cement production are not affected by this
Refineries: Refineries already use large quantities of hydrogen to desulphurize fuels. The switch to hydrogen, which produces lower emissions during production and distribution, can improve the greenhouse gas footprint of these processing steps.
Heavy goods vehicles and shipping: While passenger cars are becoming increasingly electrified, hydrogen-powered systems are also being developed and deployed for heavy-duty vehicles. In the shipping industry, hydrogen derivatives such as ammonia or synthetic fuels are also being considered as alternatives to fossil fuels. Their suitability depends, among other factors, on their application profile, infrastructure, and cost-effectiveness.
Power plants: Hydrogen power plants can provide adjustable output and supplement electricity generation from wind and solar sources. In this way, they contribute to grid stability and, particularly during periods of low wind and solar power generation, to the reliability of the power supply. To do so, gas-fired power plants must be designed for hydrogen operation or retrofitted accordingly.
As hydrogen becomes more widely available, these industrial sectors and the energy industry can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions — depending on how the hydrogen is produced and used — while building on existing industrial infrastructure
At its Leipzig plant, BMW is relying on hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas for process heat. The paint shop already uses bivalent burners that can also run on hydrogen. These burners allow for switching between natural gas and hydrogen during operation.
The SALCOS transformation program aims to reduce CO2 emissions from steel production through a gradual shift from the blast furnace process to direct reduction and electric steelmaking. The first phase is scheduled to begin production in the first half of 2027 and includes a direct reduction plant, an electric arc furnace, and a 100-MW electrolysis plant for hydrogen production.
Mainova is converting Frankfurt’s largest combined heat and power plant, HKW West. Two new gas turbine plants with waste heat steam generators are scheduled to begin regular operation during the 2026 heating season and replace the existing coal-fired power generation. They generate both heat and electricity, will initially be fueled by natural gas, and are designed to accommodate the future use of hydrogen.
Become part of the business alliance for hydrogen and the energy transition now.
Join us in getting the hydrogen economy off the ground and help shape the transformation of our industrial hub. Let’s work together to turn the hydrogen grid into an invigorating and pulsating artery of a strong and competitive industrial location in Germany. Become part of business alliance Hydrogen Germany now.
