Hydrogen Cross Border Conference 2024
The future of energy supply was the focus of the German-Dutch Cross Border Hydrogen Conference in Aurich, Germany, on Wednesday and Thursday. More than 200 representatives from politics, businesses, and academia gathered at the fourth Hydrogen Cross Border Conference (HCBC) to discuss the future of the hydrogen economy in northwest Germany and the northern Netherlands, and beyond.
Across national borders, language barriers and cultural differences, the representatives of both countries agreed on one thing above all: renewable hydrogen is and remains the key to the energy transition and is essential to achieve the common climate goals.”Climate change does not stop at national borders and this also applies to the subject of hydrogen,” said Olaf Meinen, District Administrator of the Landkreis Aurich, as he welcomed the German and Dutch guests.
What could a well-functioning, regional hydrogen value chain look like? What are the benefits for citizens? And given the €60 billion deficit in the German Climate Fund at the end of last year, many people wondered: what preconditions can and should legislators create to drive the hydrogen economy forward? And what prospects exist, using research and development and digital solutions, to make hydrogen use more economical and thus more competitive with other energy sources? These and other questions were discussed that day.
Germany continues to invest
Christian Meyer, Lower Saxony's Minister of the Environment, Climate Protection and Energy, described renewable hydrogen as a “valuable and highly sought afterenergy source. He emphasized that it would bring economic progress to those who invest in this area early on. According to the minister, the German government is aware of the importance of hydrogen and therefore continues to invest in network expansion and innovation, even with the current tight budgetary situation. The minister promised that commitments made would be kept. A promise that was greeted with applause by the participants. Here too, there was agreement that without the necessary impetus from politicians and appropriate regulations, it would not succeed.
Hydrogen opportunity for citizens
Johan Hamster, member of the Provincial Executive of Groningen, and his Drenthe counterpart Henk Jumelet traveled to the conference together with a large number of entrepreneurs and other hydrogen parties from the Netherlands.We want the region where the energy comes from to also benefit from it and believe that hydrogen is an opportunity for our citizens."A province that has always supplied the Netherlands with energy is now the region with the greatest energy poverty, where people can no longer pay their bills. This energy poverty must be solved," said Hamster. The power of change lies in cross-border cooperation, Jumelet added. This was also emphasized by Marieke Abbink-Pellenbarg of New Energy Coalition. "Collaboration begins with meeting each other. Today's conference is a good step in that direction.” said Abbink.
Fossil fuels not subsidized
From Brussels was Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe, guest. The German-Dutch border region will in the future be the “European Union's powerhouse when it comes to the hydrogen economy" Chatzimarkakis said. Renewable hydrogen is now moving to a central position in the energy transition, but at the same time, he emphasized that this cannot be achieved if gas and fossil fuels continue to be subsidized. This needs to be rethought. Those who prioritize renewable energy, as the European Union does, must also make hydrogen a priority Chatzimarkakis said. The practical questions and challenges of implementing the hydrogen economy were discussed extensively later in the day in sessions on costs and financing, technology, and digitalization.
Day two of the conference included an excursion to Groningen with a visit to Holthausen Energy Points(manufacturer of tank systems), ENTRANCE expertise center for energy, DNV technology center and a tour of the “ zero-emission coach boat".
About Hydrogen Cross Border Conference
The Hydrogen Cross Border Conference is an annual conference on developments in the hydrogen economy on both sides of the German-Dutch border. The HCBC 2024 was organized by, among others, the H2-Ostfriesland Initiative, the H2-Region Emsland, MARIKO GmbH, FME, OLEC eV, and New Energy CoalitionFunding was provided by the organizing partners and the state of Lower Saxony, the economic development agency of the Aurich district and the province of Groningen, the Green Shipping Waddenzee project, and EWE.
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