Kehler: “Acceleration Act Sends an Important Signal. Hydrogen Is Crucial for the Energy Transition.”

Tomorrow, the Federal Cabinet will address the Hydrogen Acceleration Act, which was already announced in the previous legislative period. Dr. Timm Kehler, Chairman of the German Association Die Gas- und Wasserstoffwirtschaft, welcomes the German government’s clear signal in support of ramping up the hydrogen economy:

“The German government is making clear with the Hydrogen Acceleration Act: hydrogen takes priority. With this law, it reaffirms the central role of this energy carrier in ensuring the success of the energy transition. Scientific analyses conducted as part of the energy transition monitoring have confirmed that hydrogen is essential for a cost-efficient integration of electrons and molecules.

We particularly welcome the fact that hydrogen storage facilities and methanol production plants will also be covered by the Acceleration Act in the future. In the further parliamentary process, it should also be considered to include methanation plants—production facilities for synthetic gas to be fed into the gas grid—in the law. This would be a logical step toward decarbonizing the existing gas infrastructure.

As promising as the legislative proposal is overall, it is equally regrettable that the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs has so far abandoned the previous target of 10 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity without replacement. Suppliers and project developers need clear prospects—especially in a sector where Germany is technologically leading. We therefore call for new targets and framework conditions to be defined quickly in order to provide the necessary planning security for the hydrogen ramp-up.”