At its meeting on 21 June 2024, Germany’s National Hydrogen Council adopted a statement on the importance of regional hydrogen clusters.
The statement showed how regional clusters could complement large, centrally coordinated infrastructure projects and support hydrogen deployment at local and regional level.
Practical value of regional clusters
Regional hydrogen clusters could:
- connect hydrogen production with nearby users;
- support applications in industrial and business parks;
- test hydrogen use in mobility and other sectors;
- demonstrate technologies across the hydrogen value chain;
- develop business models adapted to regional conditions;
- strengthen regional energy-system resilience; and
- help promising solutions move from testing to wider deployment.
These clusters were particularly relevant where producers, infrastructure operators and users could be connected within a defined territory.
Barriers identified
The National Hydrogen Council also identified obstacles that slowed regional hydrogen projects:
- difficulties coordinating diverse stakeholders;
- limited or unsuitable project financing;
- complex approval procedures;
- uncertain political and regulatory conditions; and
- challenges in moving from individual projects to integrated regional systems.
Relevance for H2CE regions
The findings supported H2CE’s regional approach. They showed that hydrogen development required more than isolated production or infrastructure projects. Regions needed coordinated planning, suitable support mechanisms and cooperation between public authorities, businesses, researchers and infrastructure operators.
The German-language statement remained available from the National Hydrogen Council.