Hamburg has been dealing with the topic of hydrogen for many years. Since the beginning of the new millennium, there has been a euphoria about this topic that has continuously attracted more attention. Since then, the first passenger cars, public buses and even an "Alster steamer" have been used in the Hanseatic city. This was accompanied by the first hydrogen refueling station in the Hafencity. However, this initial euphoria was followed by disillusionment, as the car production was too expensive and demand was correspondingly low. In addition, it was not possible to set up enough refueling stations in a short period of time, nor was it possible to dispel the mistrust and fear of hydrogen and fuel cells. As a result, businesses and industry withdrew and politics did not push development any further, e.g. by providing sufficient subsidies. Recently, however, this has changed, even before the Ukraine war. Climate change was initially the crucial issue, which is why more attention was again drawn to renewable, green energies, such as hydrogen.
Hamburg, with its geopolitical location, scientific expertise and economic power, wants to become a market player in the hydrogen sector. In the meantime, sites are being sought and found at full speed and funding measures are being tackled. Ambitious goals are being set and it is to be hoped that these can also be implemented quickly.