Contact

Interview with H2Cloud founder Dr Peter Rügge

By

December 16, 2021

Image titel:

Sources:

Interview with H2Cloud founder Dr Peter Rügge

Portrait Dr. Peter Rügge, © think utilities

© think utilities

A sustainable hydrogen world requires not only a comprehensive expansion of infrastructures, but also a functioning market. With H2Cloud, the Managementberatung think utilities AG & Co. KG wants to position a platform for OTC trading (over-the-counter trading, also direct trading or telephone trading) of hydrogen products. Dr Peter Rügge, founder of H2Cloud and managing director of think utilities, explains the background and analyses the market environment.

H2-international: Dear Dr. Rügge, how do you assess the current market for hydrogen?

Advertisements

Rügge: As exciting and very dynamic. A lot is happening in a short time and we hope that the activities will remain coordinated.

How is the H2 trade currently handled?

Advertisements

At the moment, long-term supply contracts are concluded between the suppliers and the demanders. Transport is included. Much is reminiscent of the “old” gas economy. Currently, the hydrogen market is still intransparent and illiquid. The profit margin for suppliers is currently relatively high, as few players are involved in the oligopolistic market and thus relatively little information is available. In addition, the current volumes of supply and demand are not systematically recorded. This also means that the market opportunities for new producers or consumers are not clearly identifiable.

What quantities are we talking about here? Where do these mainly come from and what are the current sales markets?

If we take the current assessments for Germany, the annual demand is 57 terawatt hours, EU-wide without Germany it is 256 TWh. The quantities are produced predominantly in Europe for the process industry and the chemical industry, but also for other customer segments.

How many active providers and demanders are we talking about here at the moment?

This is a manageable market – we still have an oligopoly that supplies the customer segments mentioned. While this oligopoly can meet the current demand for hydrogen, it is not in a position to provide the necessary supply quantities of hydrogen needed for widespread decarbonisation.
You want to change this situation with the H2Cloud. What approach are you taking?

Market activity comprises the economic relations between all suppliers and all demanders of a certain good in a certain space at a certain time. Two basic questions have to be answered by the mechanisms of the market in controlling and allocating the production of goods: How do suppliers get information about what goods to produce and in what quantities? And: How are demanders’ plans coordinated so that there is a balance of supply and demand plans?

The solution is simple, since the coordination of supply and demand is achieved through markets by adjusting the price of any good in such a way as to bring supply and demand into line. In the hydrogen market, we are still a long way from this coordination, which is also known in economics as the “invisible hand”. Of course, the European and German support measures, for example, are aimed at activating the hydrogen market and enabling the market ramp-up so that sufficient supply quantities are possible. Since today’s hydrogen market can be described by low transparency of supply and demand quantities, with low market liquidity and high transaction costs, we see precisely here starting points for effectively developing the market for hydrogen.

To what extent do you sense interest from the market for a corresponding solution?

We are experiencing a lot of interest from a wide variety of market participants in the gas industry, who are naturally pushing into the developing hydrogen market. In the course of EU funding under the Important Projects of Common European Interest, IPCEI, a lot of money is also available already. But we are also pleased about foreign interest. We are surprised that we have received so much positive feedback. In the meantime, we are in talks with various national and international energy suppliers.

What is the timetable for the launch? What are the biggest challenges in implementation?

We want to launch in the second quarter of 2022. Until then, we still have a lot to do. These include talks with associations, business development or project acquisition. The current situation – coming from the existing market – can also be described as an upheaval, as new suppliers and demanders are pushing into an existing oligopoly. […]

… Read this article to the end in the latest H2-International

Author: Michael Nallinger

Here are interesting and current articles on the topic of hydrogen – stocks and the stock market!

Economic prospects for companies in the hydrogen sector | Future, stocks & hydrogen companies on the stock exchange and more…

Which hydrogen companies will prevail in the competitive market in the long term? Get tips and cartwheels and learn more about risks or opportunities. Our stock market specialist and expert author Sven Jösting reports critically, independently and competently.

Mar 18 2024

Search for the ideal hydrogen storage

Interview with Thomas Korn, CEO of water stuff & sun Startup company water stuff & sun has...
Mar 15 2024

Is exponential growth slowing down?

Fuel Cell Industry Review 2022 Year 2022 saw fuel cell shipments creep up over 2021 numbers,...
Mar 11 2024

On the way to becoming a green hydrogen partner

Oman aims to score points with H2 infrastructure Wind, sun and loads of expertise – these...
Mar 07 2024

We can master a scale-up for green hydrogen

Interview with Dr. Kai Fischer, Director at RWTH Aachen The efficient scaling of green hydrogen...
Mar 07 2024

Frustration over continuing uncertainties

Interview with Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe There is a lot that needs sorting out...
Mar 05 2024

“If ever there was momentum for hydrogen, it is now”

Interview with Dr. Jochen Köckler, chairman of Deutsche Messe “We’re bringing people together.”...
Feb 28 2024

H2Direkt: Blueprint for heating with pure H2

The energy providers Thüga und Energie Südbayern (ESB) as well as Energienetze Bayern have...
Feb 26 2024

Just switch over?

Hydrogen in the existing natural gas network Whether hydrogen contributes to the clean heating...
Feb 26 2024

Pilot plant for coating bipolar plates

At Fraunhofer FEP (Fraunhofer-Institut für Organische Elektronik, Elektronenstrahl- und...
Feb 20 2024

55 MW electrolyzer to decarbonize Saarland

Hydrogen Regions series: HydroHub Fenne living lab The power plant site in Fenne, Völklingen, a...
Feb 20 2024

Chicken feathers as FC membrane material

Feathers from chickens or other poultry could in the future help make fuel cells more effective...
Feb 15 2024

SMEs demand more security

Guest article by André Steinau, CEO of GP Joule Hydrogen After all, the Ampel Coalition leading...
Feb 15 2024

Accelerated expansion of renewable energies

RED III is here – Elsewhere, the wait continues Progress is being made at EU level – albeit...
Feb 12 2024

Picea 2 relies on lithium instead of lead

HPS presents new product generation The company HPS Home Power Solutions has unveiled a new...
Feb 12 2024

H2 production by photocatalysis

The direct generation of hydrogen from sunlight has long been considered the most elegant solution...
Feb 05 2024

Regional instead of international

Hy-Fcell has it difficult asserting itself The aspiration of Landesmesse Stuttgart with Hy-Fcell...
Feb 01 2024

Hydrogeit Verlag turns 20 years old

Hydrogeit Verlag is proudly celebrating its 20th anniversary as a renowned specialist publisher in...
Jan 26 2024

Stracke other H2Now managing director

BMV Energy GmbH is entering the market as another player in hydrogen refueling stations. The...
Jan 26 2024

Starting points for a comprehensive hydrogen ramp-up

Industry congress GAT 2023 in Cologne To establish a functioning hydrogen economy, the entire...
Jan 26 2024

The industry highpoint in autumn

Hydrogen Technology Expo total success In autumn 2023 as well, the Hydrogen Technology Expo was...

1 Comment

  1. Arno A. Evers

    It’s amazing … how non-existent “green hydrogen” turns out
    to be recently developed into such a mass phenomenon …
    And how people now, after decades, fall for such buzzwords …
    More on this here:
    http://www.hydrogenambassadors.com/hannover-fair.html
    By the way, there is no other industry in the world
    in which there is so much lies and deception,
    as in the energy industry.
    That has been happening quite successfully since the 1880s …
    …even without anyone really noticing.
    I respect that and express my appreciation for this achievement.

    Reply

Leave a Reply