Wasserstoff spielt eine zunehmend wichtige Rolle in der Industrie, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Dekarbonisierung und die nachhaltige Transformation verschiedener Sektoren wie der Chemie und Metallproduktion. Der Einsatz von kohlenstoffarmem oder vorzugsweise grünem Wasserstoff in Produktionsanlagen kann stofflich bzw. energetisch erfolgen und in beiden Fällen zu Reduktion der CO2-Emissionen führen. Um die Entwicklung und den Einsatz von grünem Wasserstoff zu fördern, haben die EU-Kommission und Bundesministerien umfangreiche Förderprogramme und Initiativen ins Leben gerufen.
Auf einen Blick
- The German metal industry plays a major role in industrial policy and faces significant challenges on the path to climate neutrality by 2045.
- Will current support mechanisms remain in place long enough to see the hydrogen market through its ramp-up phase?
- Will sufficient quantities of locally produced and imported low-carbon hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives be available for industrial applications by 2045?
The Policy Landscape in Europe and Germany for a Climate-Neutral Industry
For energy-intensive industrial sectors, an additional challenge is the need for large quantities of low-carbon fuels, which must be particularly affordable to ensure a certain level of economic viability for the consumer. For this reason, OPEX funding—i.e., funding for a company’s operating expenses and running costs—is currently crucial for these applications due to the still-developing hydrogen market. To this end, the European Commission has introduced the CCfD (Carbon Contracts for Difference) funding instrument to support hydrogen projects in industry. The program was adapted by the German federal government for German companies and introduced as climate protection contracts as early as fall 2023. Financial support is provided to offset the difference between the costs of environmentally friendly and conventional production technologies. The contract ensures that companies are compensated for the higher price of an environmentally friendly solution to create incentives for investing in climate protection.
In addition, the European Commission offers funding instruments for CAPEX support of climate-friendly production facilities (including the Innovation Fund) and allows for ad hoc individual notifications of particularly challenging transformation projects.
Significant funding instruments for the decarbonization of industry have also been initiated by the German federal government. These include the Federal Funding Program for Industry and Climate Protection, which supports companies in developing and implementing climate-friendly technologies in production.
Hydrogen in Hamburg’s Industry
Starting in 2027, the HH-WIN hydrogen pipeline operated by Hamburger Energienetze will be the most important H2 infrastructure for supplying energy-intensive companies with locally produced and, in the future, also imported low-carbon hydrogen in the Hamburg metropolitan region.
Some members of the hysolutions partner network will benefit from such funding instruments or have applied for relevant funding calls. The chemical and petroleum industries, as well as metal production, thus have the opportunity to take major steps toward decarbonization by 2035 and 2040, respectively.
