Demands regarding the National Hydrogen Strategy: make green hydrogen produced offshore an integral part of the National Hydrogen Strategy!
In the update of the National Hydrogen Strategy (NHS) and all related regulatory frameworks, we need a clear commitment to the technology of producing domestic green hydrogen at sea. We regard the pipelines required for transport as an important building block of the infrastructure for imports and for the establishment of a European hydrogen transport network. We therefore expressly support all intentions — such as the "Esbjerg Declaration" — to make our technology an integral part of the "green power plant North Sea" and thus of the energy transition in Europe. Germany itself also faces the challenge of creating an internationally competitive market environment in which it can achieve technological leadership and successfully shape the energy transition. In our view, the Federal Government's target of 10 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030 will soon prove to be too low, considering the requirements for transforming domestic industry, for example. Against this background, the signatory organisations call for the following measures: I. Anchoring a specific offshore hydrogen expansion target in the NHS as the basis for a consistent strategy covering production technologies, infrastructure and the demand side. II. A training and employment programme for offshore wind hydrogen and systems. III. Hydrogen production at sea must become part of the forthcoming tenders under the Offshore Wind Energy Act. IV. Corresponding adjustment of the Site Development Plan (FEP): a. Enable the pipeline as the core of a supply corridor connecting large-scale hydrogen projects and an international hydrogen network. b. Designate sufficient sites for hydrogen production on a technology-neutral basis. V. Targeted funding for the production of offshore hydrogen along the lines of H2Global, in order to enable a rapid market ramp-up. VI. Formulation of an integrated European vision for hydrogen production at sea, European interconnection in line with the Esbjerg Declaration, and definition of Germany's role within this network. We refer to the joint appeal "Partnership for climate-friendly hydrogen production from offshore wind energy" of 2 June 2022, the content of which we hereby underline once again.