The bundle has a strong dependence on imported hydrogen
The German federal government expects a strong dependence of the German economy on imported hydrogen in the medium and long term. In 2030, hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives imports in the range of 45 to 90 Terawatt-hours are to be expected to cover 50 to 70 percent of the demand, the Federal Ministry of Economy stated. "It is to be assumed that the import share will continue to increase after 2030."
The Federal Cabinet adopted its hydrogen import strategy on a Wednesday. The minister, Robert Habeck (Greens), explained: "Germany expects a large and stable domestic demand for hydrogen and derivatives and is a reliable partner and market for hydrogen products." The partner countries would be motivated to ramp up their production.
According to the ministry, the German government is working with "a multitude of partner countries, regions, and actors" to diversify the supply sources as much as possible. Plans include pipelines for imports from European and neighboring regions. Hydrogen derivatives could be shipped from more distant countries.
Hydrogen is to be used in harmony with climate goals in areas where renewable energies cannot be used directly, such as energy-intensive industrial sectors like steel production. Hydrogen is also to be used as a gas substitute in power plants for power generation to support grid stability.
The import strategy emphasized by the federal government once again that it does not only rely on green hydrogen produced exclusively with renewable energies. "To enable the necessary rapid hydrogen ramp-up, the import strategy also includes carbon-lean hydrogen and its derivatives in the demand coverage," the Economy Ministry stated.
To effectively meet Germany's hydrogen demand, the minister acknowledged that Germany needs to be a reliable market for hydrogen products. According to hypotheses, the share of imported hydrogen that needs to be covered could reach up to 70 percent by 2030, representing around 70 percent of the demand, as mentioned by the Federal Ministry of Economy.
