Hamburg presents the roadmap to a green hydrogen economy at Hannover Messe

April 18, 2023 3:54 pm

The Hamburg Metropolitan Region’s presence at this year’s Hannover Messe focuses on the city’s commitment to green hydrogen as the energy carrier of the future. The metropolitan region is already one of the most innovative locations in the field of renewable energies and green hydrogen. In Hanover, it will be showcasing current and planned projects in this area, among other things. With its “Hydrogen Hall” established last year, the world’s most important industrial trade fair, which will take place from April 17 to 21 this year, offers the perfect setting [Hall 13, D54] for interested trade visitors from all over the world. 

“Green hydrogen is a key factor in the successful energy transition and in achieving our climate targets – and a great opportunity for Hamburg as a business location, which is already one of the most attractive in Europe. As the German trailblazer, we have been actively driving forward the development and expansion of a corresponding infrastructure and are on our way to assuming a leading role far beyond Hamburg’s borders. We will consistently leverage and further expand the Metropolitan Region’s massive potential for producing and using green hydrogen in the coming years,” says Dr. Melanie Leonhardt, Hamburg’s Minister for Economy and Innovation.

60 hydrogen projects from the Hamburg Metropolitan Region

More than 60 projects along the entire value chain are aimed at establishing a marketable green hydrogen economy of short distances. The primary goal is a large-scale decarbonization of the local industry. In terms of gross value added, Hamburg is the largest industrial city in Germany and one of the largest industrial areas in Europe. From generation through electrolysis and industrial use in the chemical or aviation industries to the creation of a hydrogen import grid: a powerful network of companies and research institutions is working in Hamburg to implement the vision of a sustainable and climate-neutral economy. In the medium term, the Port of Hamburg is to be established as a central European logistics hub for the import and export of green hydrogen.

Interactive information: Green Tech in focus

At Hannover Messe, a particular emphasis will be placed on twelve projects from the metropolitan region that are being subsidized by funds from the EU and the German government as part of the so-called IPCEI hydrogen (Important Projects of Common European Interest). Visitors can learn details about these and other projects via an interactive touch table.

“Our goal is to support the path to climate neutrality with all the resources at our disposal,” says Dr. Rolf Strittmatter, managing director of Hamburg Invest, whose team is responsible for the trade fair presentation on behalf of the Hamburg Ministry of Economic Affairs and Innovation. “We already have a very strong network for green hydrogen in the city, and we continue to attract companies that use innovative technologies to develop sustainable solutions for the current challenges the world faces.

The fact that Hamburg offers the best conditions for startups and investors is also reflected in the results of the latest “European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023” study by FDI Intelligence, a subsidiary of the Financial Times Group. Here, Hamburg was able to claim first place in the “Larger Cities” category.