Recording of Mittwoch, 07. Mai 2025 | The smarter E Europe Exhibition Program 2025 | Messeprogramm | Language: English | Duration: 84:51 .

Munich's Hydrogen Dialogue Highlights Europe's Strategic Push for a Decarbonized Future Amidst Challenges and Opportunities.

The Munich edition of the Hydrogen Dialogue centered on climate-neutral hydrogen, spotlighting projects like the South H2 Corridor—a 3,300-kilometer pipeline designed to transport green energy from northern Africa to Europe. This project aims to import around 163 terawatt hours annually into southern Germany. Key figures such as Franz Helm and Dr. Matthias Jenn discussed decarbonization through hydrogen markets and infrastructure strategies. Dr. Stefan Kaufmann highlighted using existing infrastructures for efficient hydrogen transportation within five to seven years, while Timo Bollerhey advocated for diverse logistical approaches similar to H2Global initiatives that attract private investment amid limited government funding. A significant focus was Europe's strategy in balancing domestic production with imports due to geographical constraints, emphasizing partnerships with North African countries amidst geopolitical shifts affecting supply chains globally. The EU's regulatory complexities were criticized for potentially hindering competitiveness if not pragmatically addressed by governments. Challenges related transitioning away from fossil fuels towards renewable sources by 2045 were also discussed—stressing alignment between political frameworks and practical financial models rather than relying solely on subsidies fostering industrial growth essential for a sustainable hydrogen economy. The event underscored developing comprehensive infrastructure networks supporting various decarbonization pathways aimed at achieving 2050 climate goals.

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Speaker

Franz Helm
Managing Director
VERBUND Green Hydrogen GmbH
Deutschland

Dr. Philipp Steinberg
Directorate General
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection
Deutschland

Moderator: Jürgen Pfeiffer
Editor-in-Chief / Host / MOC
GREEN PLUS CLEAN - EUROPEAN ENERGY TALKS
Deutschland

Dr. Stefan Kaufmann
Senior Advisor
Horvath & Partner
Deutschland

Dr. Matthias Jenn
Managing Director
bayernets GmbH
Deutschland

Piero Ercoli
Executive Director Decarbonisation
Snam
Deutschland

Timo Bollerhey
CEO
Hintco GmbH
Deutschland

From the SoutH2Corridor to the Hydrogen Core Grid - Fast Lane or Detour for a Green Industry?

Although Europe already produced 47% of its energy from renewable sources last year according to the latest Commissions state of the Energy Union report in 2024, 18% of gas imports still come from Russia. And pressure rises from Washington to compensate parts of Europe's trade deficit by increasing LNG exports of fracking gas. One of Europes answers is the "SoutH2Corridor" project. The planned hydrogen corridor will connect the producer countries of North Africa, Tunisia and Algeria with future industry consumers in Italy, Austria and southern Germany via a 3300 km pipeline by 2030. The planned capacity: more than 4 million tons of hydrogen per year can be supplied to industries in southern Germany with green molecules.What does this mean in terms of specific energy costs? Is the supply from North Africa sufficient to meet the needs of energy-intensive industries in southern Germany and Europe's industrial heartland Benelux at an attractive price? And what role can low-carbon hydrogen play in order to defossilize small and medium-sized industry?These are some oft the key questions in this political panel: From the SoutH2 corridor to the hydrogen core grid - fast lane or detour for a net zero industry?

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