New European hydrogen partnerships Memorandums of Understanding with Groningen and Scotland

The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg signed Memorandums of Understanding with the Scottish government and with the Dutch city of Groningen shortly before the end of 2021. The intention is to support the development of a local hydrogen economy and to prepare for the future import of hydrogen to Hamburg.

 

Scotland and Hamburg are pursuing common strategic goals in climate protection and innovation as well as export potentials of green hydrogen from Scotland to Northern Germany with the declaration signed on November 25th. By working together, the partners aim to create the conditions for timely export/import of hydrogen and hydrogen products to Hamburg and the surrounding region. The specific goals include, among other things, analysing the economic potential of hydrogen technology and identifying the ecological opportunities with a view to climate protection.

Scotland tightened its statutory climate targets in 2019 to achieve a net zero greenhouse gas footprint by 2045, with a 75 percent reduction by 2030 compared to 1990. In 2020, Scotland became the first country in the UK to publish a Hydrogen Policy Statement, six months after the German Hydrogen Strategy. Hydrogen is to play a leading role in implementing Scotland's energy transition in the future, which is also emphasised by the Scottish Climate Change Minister Michael Matheson.

"Both partners - and above all our companies - will make better use of the economic and environmental opportunities of hydrogen technology and drive the scaling of our respective domestic green hydrogen economies forward," declared Hamburg's Senator for Business and Innovation Michael Westhagemann at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for Hydrogen between Scotland and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg at the end of November.

Read more about it here.

 

Koen Schuiling, Mayor of Groningen, Jens Kerstan, Hamburg's Senator for Environment and Energy, and Michael Westhagemann, Hamburg's Senator for Economy and Innovation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of a European hydrogen infrastructure on December 22nd – starting with offshore wind energy and matching infrastructure through to hydrogen applications in mobility and industry.

"Our ambition is to intensify cooperation across national borders on the subject of hydrogen. The cooperation with Groningen is important along this path for us. I am convinced that Hamburg will be the hub and pivot of a future European hydrogen infrastructure because of its strong industry. Groningen occupies an equally important position in the Netherlands," proclaimed Senator Michael Westhagemann. Groningen's mayor Koen Schuiling added: "I am full of hope that we will be able to learn a lot from each other and join forces. The challenges for Groningen are: the energy transition, climate protection, healthcare, the labour market, transport links (Lelylijn), agriculture and housing.”

At the moment, European and national legislation is standing in the way of the successful development of a European hydrogen economy. This is why Hamburg and Groningen intend to focus their cooperation in this area. The aim is to have hydrogen projects and products ready for the market as soon as possible. However, the development of new technical concepts is also on the agenda.

Read more about it here.