EWE stops hydrogen project in Bremen: Big rethink necessary!

EWE stops hydrogen project in Bremen: Big rethink necessary!

Bremen, Deutschland - In Bremen there are currently heated discussions about green energy. The EWE has stopped building a large-scale hydrogen system for the time being, which caused some surprise. Part of the "Clean Hydrogen Coastline" program should help the system to support climate -neutral steel production in Bremen. However, EWE has prompted the current market conditions to check alternative options and financing models. This decision is considered an immediate reaction to the announcement of ArcelorMittal, not to switch its works in Bremen and Eisenhüttenstadt to green hydrogen production.

eWe emphasizes that the need to decarbonize the industrial area and the role of green hydrogen as a sustainable energy source remains unchanged. CEO Stefan Dohler makes it clear that stable political framework conditions are necessary for the hydrogen economy. "For billions of investments in Germany and Europe, it needs economic feasibility and trust," says Dohler.

Current projects in focus

Despite the project that was initially put on ice, other sub -projects of the hydrogen program continue to run according to plan. This includes a 320 megawatt hydrogen production system in Emden and a large-scale hydrogen store in Huntorf. The construction of a pipeline infrastructure is also advanced, and a 10-megawatt electrolysis project in Bremen is already under construction. The hydrogen generated from these projects is to either be integrated into existing processes or delivered to third parties.

At the nationwide level, the topic of hydrogen is also not neglected. The West Coast100 project has just received a funding notice from the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. It aims to develop green hydrogen on an industrial scale and is part of the German hydrogen strategy to reduce CO2 emissions. West coast100 is intended to serve as a model project for the entire hydrogen economy and shows that the question of sustainability in energy generation and use is very popular.

A look into the future

But where does Europe stand in this context? With the Green Deal of the European Commission, the aim is to make all member states by 2050 greenhouse gas -neutral. National climate neutrality will also be sought in Germany by 2045. In order to achieve these projects, a fundamental change from CO2-heavy energy sources to emission-free alternatives is required. Green hydrogen offers the opportunity not only to serve as an energy storage, but also to perform valuable services as a raw material in industry and fuel in the mobility sector.

The challenges should not be underestimated. Above all, the emission -strong industries such as the steel industry and chemical production must now set the course towards green hydrogen in order to reach the climate goals. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), green hydrogen could compete with fossil fuels by 2030, but the high production costs require a prioritization of certain areas of application.

it becomes clear that the sector coupling, i.e. the networking of electricity, heat supply, traffic and industry, is considered the key to decarbonization. This is the only way to efficiently use energy from clean sources to advance the CO2 reduction. The next steps in Bremen and beyond are essential to reach the climate goals and to shape a sustainable future.

For further details and information on the developments in Bremen regarding hydrogen production, follow the reporting on Sat1 regional , Energy blog and Dekra .