From regional production, deploying hydrogen (H2) buses, to emission-free company fleets: hydrogen mobility has many facets. In order to create the structures required for this, Bottrop and Gelsenkirchen, under the leadership of the district of Recklinghausen, are preparing a regional implementation concept over the coming months under the heading: ‘HyExperts Region Emscher-Lippe’. It will address all added value phases of future hydrogen mobility and involve as many actors in the region as possible.
With this objective in mind, on 23.11.20 regional experts and companies are gathering for a virtual meeting, the first of three scheduled H2 regional forums.
“Hydrogen as an energy source is an important component of climate-neutral mobility and has great potential to bring new added value to our region. With its innovative business hubs and its actively engaged players, the Emscher-Lippe region already offers the best preconditions for it to play a leading role in this sector on a national scale. Together we must now continue to expand existing structures and networks”, said Bodo Klimpel, District Administrator of Recklinghausen district.
“We are already very well placed in terms of hydrogen competence in the region. Now we are bringing this expertise together conceptually under one roof for production, transport, application and innovation purposes. We want to establish a smart system in the HyExperts region of Emscher-Lippe that optimally utilises our region’s strengths for future hydrogen mobility”, says Bernd Tischler, Mayor of the city of Bottrop.
Regional strengths and special features play a central role in successfully implementing hydrogen mobility. The city of Bottrop, Gelsenkirchen and the district of Recklinghausen are therefore working together on a regional implementation concept that not only advances climate protection, but also can consider and expand upon existing structures and create new added value opportunities in the region. Under the heading: ‘HyExperts Region Emscher-Lippe’, the concept will be finalized by August 2021 and will take all aspects of future hydrogen mobility into consideration – from local public transport, logistics and waste collection, to individual transport. Participants are meeting regularly (online) for this purpose and are discussing opportunities and prospects for the region.
The development of the HyExperts region of Emscher-Lippe as a hydrogen region is being supported under the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP2) in the amount of 300,000 euros by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. “The Emscher-Lippe region established itself at an early stage as exhibiting great potential and, as one of the first regions we funded as HyExperts nationwide, started off with concrete projects. The region has a distinct hydrogen profile already and is successfully building on this. We look forward to the results of the conception process.” said Kurt-Christoph von Knobelsdorff, Managing Director (Chair) of NOW GmbH, which coordinates the funding programme.
Today’s H2 regional forum is the first of a series of working meetings to be held as part of concept development over the coming months in various (online) formats. Companies as well as municipal actors from the region, various experts and best-practice projects are invited to contribute to the shaping of the Emscher-Lippe HyExperts region through their projects and expertise.
About the project
Building regional structures for hydrogen-based climate-neutral transport is the goal of the Emscher-Lippe HyExperts region. An implementation study headed by the district of Recklinghausen, together with the cities of Gelsenkirchen and Bottrop will develop concrete solutions that can be applied to other regions and work out an overall concept. Results are expected in late summer 2021. The project is supported under the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP2) in the amount of 300,000 euros by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Projektträger Jülich (PtJ).
Contact:
Dr. Hanno Butsch | BBH Consulting
Twitter: @HyExperts_EL