Madsen: Opportunities for the North with climate-neutral ships
Economics Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen sees great opportunities for Schleswig-Holstein in the development and construction of climate-neutral ships and propulsion technologies. "It's about nothing more and nothing less than making a contribution to achieving the climate targets and at the same time making our maritime industry in the state, with its around 2,300 companies and 37,000 employees, weatherproof," said the CDU politician in Kiel on Wednesday. Madsen had previously taken part in a maritime future dialog with representatives from business, science, politics and administration.
Marine technology could play a special role in the maritime industry in the coming years. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is developing low-emission and emission-free energy systems together with industry at an institute for maritime energy systems in Geesthacht.
"In addition to transportation concepts for alternative fuels, this includes fuel cells for ships, as well as energy storage, distribution and loading infrastructures for low-emission or emission-free fuels," said Professor Sören Ehlers. The institute is building a test infrastructure in Kiel to develop modular energy and ship concepts. The transportation of pure liquid hydrogen has great potential for transporting huge amounts of energy in the future - but there is still a lack of tried and tested tank and transfer systems.
The state government's maritime coordinator, Andreas Burmester, emphasized that "despite all the challenges, the wind energy sector in particular will ensure that we are largely self-sufficient and therefore attractive for further companies of the calibre of the Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt". In the long term, industrial jobs for the maintenance of offshore facilities could be created in North Sea ports and boost the transition to a green industrial state. "The associated structural change will give rise to new products such as autonomous ferries or intelligent processes for disposing of munitions at sea, thus creating high-quality jobs."
Climate-neutral shipbuilding presents a significant opportunity for Schleswig-Holstein's maritime industry to align with environmental goals, as highlighted by Economics Minister Claus Ruhe Madsen. The development of low-emission and emission-free energy systems, such as fuel cells for ships, could be crucial in this transition, contributing to the realization of climate targets and securing the future of the sector.
Source: www.dpa.com
