On May 12th, 2022, German transport minister Dr. Volker Wissing set off the next round of the HyLand program. Representatives from each of the 15 HyStarter and HyExpert Regions came to Berlin to hear the funding decisions from the ministry for transport and digital infrastructure (Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr, BMDV). In addition, Wissing announced another call for HyPerformer Regions – also for this year.
HyStarter remains as popular as ever. Like the competition’s first round, the second attracted the interest of much more organizations than the German transportation ministry was able to fund. By May 14, the ministry’s NOW office had received 65 applications for funding local hydrogen economies as part of the HyLand program. Few of the organizations had already applied the first time around.
2nd round of HyLand competition kicks off
“We’re not talking about Champagne, we’re talking about table water.” This was the pronouncement of Katherina Reiche, chairwoman of Germany’s National Hydrogen Council, as she instigated proceedings at this year’s H2Congress. On Jan. 26 and 27, 2021, over 3,000 attendees gathered online for a joint conference consolidating the NIP General Assembly and the German Hydrogen Congress. In among the discussions came the announcement that the second round of the HyLand competition would soon open.
Hydrogen Regions, Part III: HyExperts in Emsland
It’s no coincidence Emsland has grown to be a leading hydrogen production area in Germany. In 2018, one powerful idea took hold at local business leader’s regular meetings: Emsland as a pilot region for generating, distributing and utilizing green hydrogen. Led by Tim Husmann – head of H2-Region Emsland’s partner network and office – and backed by regional authorities and Lingen’s city council, the suggestion quickly gained political support. Today, the Emsland reputation for thrusting Germany’s energy market transformation forward with green hydrogen is a far-reaching catchword. In 2019, Lingen became a HyExperts region. Fall 2020 exuberantly launched the H2-Region Emsland project, a 15-month drive for synergy between industrial hydrogen supply and transportation solutions.