Bremen wants to become the hydrogen capital of Europe

2,000 experts gather at the Hydrogen Technology Conference and Expo to coordinate their efforts in the quicker adoption of the new energy

Today, 2,000 experts on hydrogen technology met in the German city of Bremen to discuss the future green transition. The meeting is part of the Hydrogen Technology Conference and Expo and it hopes to support Bremen’s bid to become the hydrogen capital of Europe.

The expo itself is the biggest meeting of professionals in this area and it brings the whole value chain together, allowing the experts to concentrate efforts and coordinate their expertise.

A shift of power priorities in the region

During the event, local authorities signed a cooperation agreement with the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation and increase the flow of knowledge from the Dutch city since it has already implemented a lot of hydrogen technologies. Bremer Stahlwerk (Bremen Steelworks) for example, plans to shift towards the new power source entirely.

The nearby German port city of Bremerhaven, also wants to take part in the adoption of hydrogen innovations, by becoming a testing ground for the technology’s capacity to store electricity.

The north German hydrogen strategy

The North German Hydrogen Strategy was adopted in late 2019 and it focuses on providing Bremen and other coastal cities with a coordinated financial mechanism to make hydrogen an important component of the energy transition of the region.

The most important point is making ‘green hydrogen’ a part of the industrial sector. ‘Green’ refers to hydrogen created with renewable energy, where the only by-product of usage is water. ‘Grey’ refers to hydrogen created with non-renewable energy, emitting a lot of carbon during the process, while ‘blue’ refers to a combination of grey hydrogen and carbon-capture technology.

Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein seek to establish a green hydrogen economy by 2035 with the goal of supplying as many customers with the energy source as possible. The strategy is based on the unique selling points of Northern Germany such as onshore and offshore power generation capacities, cavern storage facilities and seaports.