Twelve companies have joined forces to form the Hamburg Hydrogen Network, which has the potential to realise annual CO2 savings of over 1mn tonnes.
Unveiled on 26 April, the companies have submitted an application under the EU-wide Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) support program. The network’s projects will make a substantial contribution to emissions reductions, linking hydrogen production, distribution and utilisation across a range of applications. Combined, these projects could reduce CO2 emissions in Hamburg by 170,000 tonnes each year as early as 2026, rising to more than 1mn tons annually by 2030, owed to local electrolysis, sea-side imports and connecting to the emerging European hydrogen network.
The companies involved are Airbus, ArcelorMittal, Gasnetz Hamburg, GreenPlug, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik, Hamburg Port Authority, HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst and Stadtreinigung Hamburg, along with those behind the Hamburg Green Hydrogen Hub – Shell, Vattenfall, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Wärme Hamburg.
The hydrogen produced from this hub will mainly replace fossil fuels in industrial production, as well as the transport and logistics sector. Additional use of waste heat from electrolysis for the district heating network and thermal treatment of municipal waste will allow a further reduction in the environmental footprint of a variety of industries.
The green hydrogen hub, which will see a coal power plant in Hamburg-Moorburg converted into a scalable 100MW electrolysis plant was cited as the “foundation” for building a complete hydrogen value chain in Hamburg The Port of Hamburg, meanwhile, with its wide network of potential industrial applications and service partners, offers a unique location-specific advantage to creating a viable hydrogen economy as well.
