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Hydrogen future in Bremen: setbacks for green projects!
Bremerhaven is suffering from setbacks in the hydrogen industry as important projects have been stopped and filling stations closed.
Hydrogen future in Bremen: setbacks for green projects!
A dark shadow is looming in the northern German hydrogen landscape. The delays and setbacks in the industry are increasing. The Bremen company Enginius (Faun) has stopped producing its hydrogen vehicles, which has set off alarm bells for many observers. Why are the hydrogen drivers in Bremerhaven facing an unexpected upheaval? According to the North Sea newspaper There are several pieces of evidence that illustrate this worrying development.
As it turns out, the only hydrogen filling station in Bremen, which is currently operated by Shell, is now also closed. The situation is getting worse because there were also temporary delivery problems in the Cuxhaven district when using hydrogen trains. Companies like Mafi & Trepel, who have had enough of the weakening industry with innovative hydrogen solutions for special vehicles in airports and port terminals, are withdrawing from Bremerhaven at the end of the year.
Fluctuating prospects for the steel industry
Another setback for the region comes from the steel industry. ArcelorMittal has temporarily stopped its plans to convert the steelworks in Bremen to climate-friendly production with “green” hydrogen. As the German wave reports, the group has expressed strong concerns about the cost of the new plants and the expensive operating costs of green hydrogen. This is particularly worrying since the steel industry is responsible for just 7% of CO2 emissions in Germany and a switch to climate-neutral processes is crucial for the sector.
Steel production is characterized by high emissions, and residues like those from ArcelorMittal can have far-reaching consequences for the entire industry. The German government has committed funding of 1.3 billion euros to lead the industry into a green future. But the pressure on steel companies is growing - climate neutrality by 2050 is the goal, but implementation in the German market is extremely challenging.
A European problem
The questions about the competitiveness of the European steel industry remain unanswered so far. In France, ArcelorMittal is outperforming the German market because it offers better electricity prices. The road to producing green steel is long and expensive. As the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) emphasizes, the switch to sustainable production is essential. The ZEROSTEEL project aims to provide solutions here by using hydrogen and renewable energies to reduce CO2 emissions in steel production. In order to successfully overcome these challenges, the necessary infrastructure must also be built.
Major projects at European level are being planned, but monopolistic delays in other projects show that there is still a lot of room for improvement. Many researchers and companies are working with international partners to establish hydrogen as the fuel of the future for the steel industry. But the challenges, such as the expensive transport of hydrogen and its production, cannot be neglected.
So what's left? A clear call to industry to build a bridge between technological progress and practical feasibility. In Bremerhaven, the hydrogen sector is currently showing its weakest side, but hope for a return upswing remains.