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Megatrend hydrogen reloaded: H2EXPO & CONFERENCE back for a second year Germany leading in patent applications for hydrogen technologies

Green hydrogen is on the rise: more hydrogen projects are currently being launched around the world than ever before.

Megatrend hydrogen reloaded:

Green hydrogen is on the rise: more hydrogen projects are currently being launched around the world than ever before. This was also highlighted at the opening event of H2EXPO & CONFERENCE that took place last September alongside WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s leading trade fair for the wind industry. This year, the hydrogen sector will once again gather to present its developments and innovations, from 28 to 29 June at Hamburg Messe und Congress. For the second time, this attractive industry event will show how an internationally networked market ramp-up can succeed when politicians and industrialists work together.

Hydrogen is increasingly becoming an integral part of the energy debate. As a storage medium, the element is an energy and geo-political mainstay of our future fossil-free energy supply. It can be used for both heat and energy generation, as well as in industrial firms, mobile technologies for transport and traffic and reconversion. This year, for example, work will commence to build a 40 km hydrogen network in the port of Hamburg. This is one of around a dozen projects that are being funded as part of the ‘Important Projects of Common European Interest’ programme. Bernd Aufderheide, CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress, says: “Innovation cycles in this sector are extremely short and the large number of different national and international framework conditions necessitate continuous debate. This is exactly where H2EXPO & CONFERENCE comes in: innovation drivers from politics and business will meet in Hamburg for two days to jointly launch new H2 technologies and processes for the future challenges facing the energy industry.”

The hot topics in the hydrogen sector in 2023:

Expanding infrastructure: decarbonising energy-intensive industrial sectors

In order to achieve global climate neutrality by 2050 and meet Europe’s even more ambitious climate targets, comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure must be developed. Along with sufficient capacity for large-scale industry, this must also allow medium-sized companies to be connected as quickly as possible. Consortia across Europe are currently investigating the possible use of the existing natural gas networks for the transport of hydrogen. Production facilities with gigawatt-range capacity are being planned and are due to be implemented by 2030, such as at the port of Rotterdam.

Making mobility climate-neutral: fuel cells and hydrogen combustion systems

When used in cars, lorries, ships and aircraft, fuel cells act as energy converters. Industrial sectors are currently emerging around the world for the production and continuous improvement of fuel cells and electric drives for mobility applications. The first mass-produced hydrogen-powered car has been on sale in China since June 2022. The Changan Shenlan SL03 is a joint project between Changan New Energy, CATL and Huawei. According to the manufacturer, the saloon car has an output of 160 kW, consumes 0.65 kilogrammes of hydrogen per 100 km and has a range of 700 km. Similar ranges were presented for hydrogen-powered lorries at the IAA Motor Show last September. And research institutes and industrial companies are also working closely together on the integration of cryogenic tanks in the combustion systems of ships and aircraft. A wide range of different drive technologies are already commercially viable.

Encouraging innovation: the EU and Japan are world leaders in hydrogen patents

On 10 January 2023, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) published a joint study on patents for hydrogen technologies. Their findings reveal that most patents for the hydrogen sector are registered in the European Union and that Germany is the frontrunner in terms of hydrogen technologies. Patents in the production, storage, distribution, processing and end-usage sectors were included in the ranking. Japan tops the list of countries with 7.5 percent of all patents. A side note to this survey: patent applications are currently declining in the US.

Accelerating H2 market ramp-up: plans for a European hydrogen bank

On 18 October 2022, the European Commission presented its agenda for 2023. One of its central elements is a proposal to fundamentally reform the EU electricity market. The rapid development of a green hydrogen economy is a core element of the working paper, for which the EU Commission proposed the establishment of a new European hydrogen bank at the beginning of this year. This institution will invest three billion euro in measures that are intended to boost the hydrogen market within the EU.

In June, H2EXPO & CONFERENCE will address the latest issues facing the industry and invite exhibiting companies and visitors to network with those driving the sector’s performance. Because in order for the hydrogen economy to rapidly evolve, intensive dialogue between politicians and industrialists is a must. Andreas Arnheim, Project Manager at H2EXPO & CONFERENCE, says: “Hydrogen is a central pillar of the energy transition and we want our exhibition and conference service here in the hydrogen Metropolitan Region of Hamburg to become a hub for the latest technologies, along with regional and international project initiation.”

H2EXPO & CONFERENCE – the ultimate networking event of the international hydrogen economy

H2EXPO & CONFERENCE, the international gathering for the production, distribution and use of hydrogen, is taking place from 28 to 29 June 2023 in Hall B6 on the Hamburg Messe und Congress campus. For two days, an attractive networking platform will be established for stakeholders from business and politics to discuss the latest trends and the future of the international hydrogen economy in networking areas and at supporting events. H2 technology providers from Germany and overseas will present their solutions and innovations, as well as their projects. At the same time, there will be a high-calibre conference programme at which leading speakers from politics, science and business are expected to talk about issues such as regulation, technologies and the future of hydrogen. By the way, H2EXPO & CONFERENCE takes place every even-numbered year, alongside WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s leading trade fair for the wind industry. www.h2expo.de

 

About Astrid Dose

Profilbild zu: Astrid Dose

Talking, writing, organising – and having lots of fun! This is what my days at the EEHH Cluster look like. I’ve been responsible for public relations and marketing for the Hamburg industry network since 2011. I studied History and English and have a soft spot for technical issues.

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