On Monday, 29th August 2022, the minister presidents of the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, Kretschmar and Söder, announced the formation of a hydrogen alliance. They rely on hydrogen as a renewable energy source of the future and agree that the south of Germany must not be left behind in the expansion of the hydrogen network.
After a tour of the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research in Ulm, Kretschmar emphasized that hydrogen is a central element of the global energy transition and that demand will grow rapidly, so it must arrive where it is needed the most.
The two federal states want to cooperate more closely to ensure a green future - with hydrogen as a central element. Winfrid Kretschmann, Minister President of the Green Party from Baden-Württemberg, commented as follows: "We will intertwine funding activities. We will network our two hydrogen clusters H2 Bavaria and H2 Baden-Württemberg with their partners."
The goal of the hydrogen alliance is to use hydrogen and fuel cells for trains, buses and trucks that are difficult to convert to electric vehicles. Compared to electric-powered vehicles, a hydrogen-powered vehicle has a much longer range. Furthermore, the weight of an electric battery is significantly higher, so the South agrees that the fuel cell is a better solution, especially in the transportation and logistics sector.
Further goals are to bring Baden-Württemberg to the forefront of hydrogen technology, to optimize the price of fuel cells, and to guarantee the connection to a hydrogen pipeline.
