• Region continues to rely fully on hydrogen as the energy source of the future
• Study highlights great potential for the region
At the beginning of August, the European Union (EU) announced that the funding for the “H2 Valley” project will not go to the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region.
In a consortium of 23 partners, the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, together with actors from the Mittlerer Neckar region, had participated in the tender of max. 20 million euros in funding. “We are very sorry that the EU has not opted for Rhein-Neckar as a model region for hydrogen,” explains Bernd Kappenstein, Head of Energy and Mobility at the Rhein-Neckar Metropolitan Region, referring to the hydrogen potential analysis published in May. This study, prepared by experts from Prognos AG (economic research) and Thinkstep AG (strategy consulting), confirms that MRN has great potential.
It is currently being examined whether a large part of the proposed projects and activities can be subsidized and implemented through national funding. “We are aware of our strengths and therefore very confident about the existing potential and the competences and resources available in our network to sustainably anchor the pioneering energy carrier hydrogen in the region,” adds Kappenstein. The MRN as one of the most important economic areas, especially in the chemical industry, has excellent conditions to develop into a model region for hydrogen.
Hydrogen is regarded as an energy source of the future and is increasingly becoming the focus of attention when implementing the energy transition. Hydrogen in conjunction with fuel cell technology is one of the strategic growth areas in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. Since last year, a working group made up of representatives from industry, transport and utilities companies as well as the three regional centers Mannheim, Heidelberg and Ludwigshafen has been working on the production and application possibilities of hydrogen.
For the concrete estimation of these development chances, a potential analysis was commissioned by the regional development company Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar GmbH. Independent experts of Prognos AG and Thinkstep AG have in a study the economic and ecological potential, collected and analyzed through the local generation and use of hydrogen in the Rhine-Neckar region. The workplace effects and the implications for technology transfer were also examined.
The study shows that the identified hydrogen demand in the metropolitan region can be expected to be generated entirely locally and from renewable energies. The use of hydrogen and fuel cell applications potentially adds up to 1,100 new jobs in the region, mostly in vehicle manufacturing, according to the study.
The early promotion of hydrogen can proactively shape the transition to electric propulsion. The study shows that the identified hydrogen demand in the metropolitan region can be expected to be generated entirely locally and from renewable energies.
The use of hydrogen and fuel cell applications potentially adds up to 1,100 new jobs in the region, mostly in vehicle manufacturing, according to the study. The early promotion of hydrogen can proactively shape the transition to electric propulsion.
The study shows that the identified hydrogen demand in the metropolitan region can be expected to be generated entirely locally and from renewable energies. The use of hydrogen and fuel cell applications potentially adds up to 1,100 new jobs in the region, mostly in vehicle manufacturing, according to the study. The early promotion of hydrogen can proactively shape the transition to electric propulsion.
