Dr Thomas Gößmann, Chairman of the Management Board of Thyssengas GmbH, opened the event: "We are much further along today than we were a year ago: the excavators are not yet rolling - but we already have the ignition keys in our hands and the first H2 projects have been launched. At the same time, it is important that we address existing hurdles and overcome them together. That's why we want to use the Thyssengas dialogue to create transparency and provide information about the progress and ongoing challenges regarding the hydrogen transport infrastructure - especially with regard to the planned H2 core network."
Dr Gößmann also addressed the postponement of the final application for the H2 core network due to the pending state aid approval of the EnWG amendment by the EU Commission. "I would have liked to have presented the specific lines of the H2 core grid and our part in it to you today - subject to final approval by the Federal Network Agency, of course," said Dr Gößmann. However, he could not and did not want to anticipate the application. "It is no secret that work is continuing between transmission system operators and investors on the issue of financing the H2 core network. We are not through yet." Nevertheless, he was optimistic that the construction of the H2 core network would succeed as planned. "Everyone involved is aware of the importance of this infrastructure for the hydrogen ramp-up and for the decarbonisation of industry and SMEs."
The green transformation of the energy industry - in Germany and Europe
Jens Geier, Member of the European Parliament and Chairman of the European SPD, also emphasised the importance of hydrogen infrastructure for a decarbonised and sustainable future in his keynote speech. Above all, he believes that politicians - both at national and EU level - now have a duty to continue to set the necessary regulatory course: "We are in a special phase. We are in the process of changing the wheels of the 'energy industry' locomotive at full speed. And this wheel change must be quick and reliable. That is my expectation of the current and future EU Commission - also in view of the competition with other regions of the world." The adoption of the EU gas market package has paved the way for the development of the national hydrogen infrastructure; the next step is now the pending approval under state aid law.
Reliability as a premise for cooperation between transmission system operators and industry
"The H2 core network is a joint task" was the message that ran through many of the speeches at the third Thyssengas Dialogue. Dr Arne Dammer, Head of Strategy and Innovation at Thyssengas, emphasised in particular the cooperation between transmission system operators and industry. He explained that Thyssengas had already created the basis for viable supply concepts with various potential hydrogen customers in recent years. Letters of intent have already been concluded on the basis of numerous discussions and workshops with companies and local suppliers. "We will continue this work and become increasingly concrete. Further steps on the way to supply are now the realisation contracts, the grid connection contracts and the capacity booking contracts," said Dr Dammer. In his view, reliability is now the keyword, because only if there is commitment to the hydrogen market ramp-up on both sides - from transmission system operators and potential H2 consumers - can the H2 infrastructure be planned and implemented in a targeted manner. "The H2 core network is the first step, also to maintain the future viability of North Rhine-Westphalia as an industrial location. In addition, we are already working on so-called redistribution concepts to cover the demand for hydrogen across the region. From the 'H2 motorway' to the 'federal and rural roads' - we are achieving this through T-junctions, connection lines and thus sub-distribution in various regions of North Rhine-Westphalia."
In his view, the H2 core network is not a static construct, but rather an iterative process in several steps. In order to ensure that the hydrogen transport infrastructure continues to develop in line with demand, the H2 core network is to be reviewed every two years and the plans adjusted if necessary. The basis for this is the integrated network development plan (NEP) for gas and hydrogen.
From feed-in to consumer - H2 supply routes in NRW
While the Thyssengas Dialogue 2023 focused on the vision of a hydrogen economy and the necessary regulatory framework, the third edition focused on concrete implementation. Mathias Reinemann, Director of Business Development Hydrogen, BP Europa SE, Philipp Kremer, Business Developer, RWE Generation, and Andreas Meyer, Head of Vehicle Technology, Stadtwerke Wuppertal, presented concrete examples of cooperation in the form of project pitches. The presentations covered a wide range of topics: from international import and generation strategies at bp to the implementation of hydrogen-fuelled power plants at RWE and regional supply projects in local public transport at Stadtwerke Wuppertal. Overall, these diverse use cases have shown what holistic supply and infrastructure planning along the H2 value chain can look like and how the individual links are connected.
Energy transition: Combining security of supply and economic efficiency
In addition to the development of the H2 infrastructure and relevant supply routes, the aim was to broaden the perspective and take a closer look at the energy transition as an overall concept - with a focus on the integrated consideration of electricity and gas capacities. Dr Fridolin Pflugmann, Associate Partner at McKinsey and co-author of the independent study "Zukunftspfad Stromversorgung", explained the necessary framework conditions and parameters for a cost-efficient energy transition. He argued in favour of focusing more on the expansion of hydrogen-capable gas-fired power plants.
With pragmatism, cooperation and the right regulatory framework for the H2 ramp-up
The unanimous opinion of a concluding panel discussion at the third Thyssengas Dialogue was that there are still some challenges to overcome on the road to the hydrogen future - despite the significantly improved starting position. Patrick Wendeler, Chairman of the Executive Board of BP Europa SE, emphasised: "There have been some good initial steps, but there is certainly still a lot more that can be done to gain further confidence in the market. This has a lot to do with regulation. We are ready to make our contribution, but of course we also need the business cases along the value chain."
Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE Generation SE, agreed with this. He added: "We are facing an incredibly big transformation that affects everyone - from industry to consumers. The energy transition project is now about advancing many individual topics in an overall context. The core grid creates planning security for hydrogen at the transport level, but we also need this for hydrogen production, consumption and storage. Pragmatism is needed here with the clear goal of climate neutrality by 2045."
With regard to the regulatory framework, Prof. Dr Phillip Fest, Group Leader Energy Infrastructure, Nuclear Law in the Energy Department, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, replied to that the legal framework for the H2 core network has already been created as pragmatically as possible: "On the approval side, we have groundbreaking framework conditions because we consider natural gas and H2 together and half of the core network can be approved in four weeks with a simple notification procedure. The fastest planning and approval is no planning and approval." The state government's next major task is now to speed up the approval process for new pipelines. Prof. Dr Fest emphasised: "Statutory acceleration measures must result in a real and not just a supposed acceleration. It also requires the timely planning of processing capacities on all sides."
Markus Hilkenbach, Chairman of the Executive Board of Stadtwerke Wuppertal, represented the consumer perspective in particular: "I am glad that initiatives like today's are drawing attention to the fact that it is about more than just the H2 core grid. It must also be about the consumers. As the event also says: The excavators must roll. That's why we can't get lost in academic discussions now. We need pragmatism."
The third edition of the Thyssengas Dialogue was recorded and is available to all interested parties at: www.thyssengasdialog.com
The panellists at the third Thyssengas Dialogue (from left to right): Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE Generation SE, Patrick Wendeler, CEO of BP Europa SE, Dr Thomas Gößmann, CEO of Thyssengas GmbH, Markus Hilkenbach, CEO of Stadtwerke Wuppertal, Prof Dr Phillip Fest, Group Head of Energy Infrastructure, Nuclear Law in the Energy Department, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
About Thyssengas
Thyssengas GmbH is a German transmission system operator. The company, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021, is headquartered in Dortmund. Thyssengas operates a gas network around 4,400 kilometres long - mostly in North Rhine-Westphalia, but also with individual pipelines in Lower Saxony. It supplies downstream distribution network operators as well as industrial companies and power plants. Thyssengas is focussing on hydrogen as a gaseous energy source for a climate-neutral future. The Dortmund network operator is involved in numerous initiatives to this end. At the same time, it is making targeted investments in the conversion of its pipeline system to enable a rapid hydrogen ramp-up as part of the energy transition. The company currently employs around 460 people at seven locations in the grid area, and the number is rising.
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