WAB e.V. Managing Director Heike Winkler comments on today's meeting of the Ministers of Economics and Transport as well as Senators of the coastal states in Bremen:
"It is important that funding for the activities to implement the North German Hydrogen Strategy is secured as soon as possible. At today's conference, an agreement was reached to present a corresponding concept by the end of the 1st quarter next year. This is very late, but more important than establishing a central office for the implementation of the strategy.
Decentralised cooperation is crucial for the success of the North German Hydrogen Strategy. For a hydrogen economy to emerge in the northern states, the focus should be on the rapid ramp-up of hydrogen production. The aim must be to tap the potentials in sustainable energy production in order to be able to safeguard the expansion of the hydrogen economy.
'Green' hydrogen, which will only be available with renewable energies and especially wind energy, offers great employment potential, especially for northern Germany. Many of our WAB member companies already bring the necessary know-how to the table. In the international competition for the ramp-up of the 'green' hydrogen economy, the northern states therefore have very good chances. We should make use of them! The regulatory framework - national and European - is of decisive importance for this.
Coordinating work in the North German region should not be limited to one region or federal state. At present, 150 actors are working integratively in 4 fields of action as well as a coordination group of the five coastal states in an interdisciplinary exchange across federal states. This is good - but there is currently a lack of funds for implementation."
The current fields of action are:
- Field of action 1 "Hydrogen infrastructure",
- Field of action 2 "Value creation through hydrogen",
- Field of action 3 "Hydrogen in policy, regulations and programmes",
- Field of action 4 "Hydrogen acceptance and education".
"For each of the fields of action, a working group of hydrogen-savvy multipliers from business, science, associations, etc. from all northern German states was formed. The WAB is part of the moderating leadership of field of action 4 together with the FH Westküste and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and works as a supporter in all fields of action."
About WAB e.V.
Bremerhaven-based WAB is the nationwide contact partner for the offshore wind industry in Germany and the leading business network for onshore wind energy in the north-west region. The association fosters the production of "green" hydrogen from wind energy. It comprises some 250 smaller and larger businesses as well as institutes from all sectors of the wind industry, the maritime industry as well as research. www.wab.net
Contact
Hans-Dieter Sohn | Senior Communications and Marketing Manager WAB e.V. | +49 173 2382802 | hans.sohn @ wab.net
