Germany is looking Down Under to build up a renewable hydrogen supply chain as Europe’s largest economy intensifies efforts to secure massive future imports of the green gas, as well as exports of electrolysers, in the wake of its national hydrogen strategy.
As a first step, Australia and Germany have signed an agreement to carry out a joint feasibility study into the potential for closer collaboration and the future development of a hydrogen supply chain between the two countries.
The study will cover production, storage, transport and use of renewable hydrogen, assess current technology and research, and identify barriers for the development of a hydrogen industry.
“I am delighted that we are working with Australia to promote the development of a global green hydrogen economy,” German science minister Anja Karliczek said.
“It is important to me that Germany now sets the course for international green hydrogen partnerships, that German companies open the doors to sales markets for hydrogen technologies 'Made in Germany' at an early stage.”
German hydrogen strategy
Among those technologies are electrolysers, which produce green hydrogen by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, using renewable electricity. Hydrogen can be used as clean fuel to decarbonise heavy industry, transport, aviation or shipping.
The cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel in June had approved a €9bn ($10.6bn) national hydrogen strategy that sets targets for the ramp-up of massive production of green H2 made from domestic renewable energy sources, as well as large-scale imports from the EU and beyond.
The ambitious plan includes €2bn to support green hydrogen projects in partner countries.
Berlin in the last couple of months has put out its feelers around the world for projects or countries that may offer good conditions for hydrogen partnerships. Karliczek earlier this year had already said the government is exploring opportunities for hydrogen production and the resulting supply chains in African countries.
Germany in its hydrogen strategy mainly bets on renewables-based hydrogen production domestically and from EU offshore wind, but also considers temporary imports of fossil-based H2 if linked to carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Australia could offer both, due to its massive potential for gigawatt-scale wind and solar power plants, as well as large potential for subsurface storage of CO2 linked to hydrogen production from coal or gas.
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