The Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) is continuing to invest in hydrogen technology and is supporting the establishment of decentralised Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Centres (ITZ-H2 – Innovations- und Technologiezentren Wasserstoff). The funding is part of the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP – Deutscher Aufbau- und Resilienzplan) and is provided through the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) as part of NextGenerationEU. With the ITZ-H2, the Federal Government is implementing a key measure of the National Hydrogen Strategy.
Alongside Pfeffenhausen, sites in Chemnitz and the northern German cluster of Bremen/Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Stade have already been launched. The aim of all centres is to support small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups and suppliers in the development, testing and market readiness of hydrogen technologies, thereby providing decisive innovation impetus for the German economy.
The Pfeffenhausen site, the Hydrogen Technology User Centre (WTAZ – Wasserstoff Technologie-Anwender-Zentrum), focuses on applications in heavy-duty transport and urban air mobility, creating state-of-the-art development and testing infrastructures for this purpose. These include specialised hydrogen laboratories, test benches for storage tanks, combustion engines and complete vehicles, as well as a hydrogen liquefier that will use green hydrogen sourced directly from the region in future. The site is located next to the H2YB electrolyser in the HyPerformer region of HyBayern. The centre is supported by strong scientific partners: the Technical University of Ingolstadt, the University of Applied Sciences Landshut and the University of Applied Sciences Regensburg. The WTAZ thereby offers an infrastructure that has not previously been available on the market in this form and closes a key gap for SMEs and start-ups that rely on specialised, affordable testing capacities. In addition, the location provides expertise in industrial research and development, certification, standardisation and standardisation – crucial building blocks for bringing technologies to market more quickly, keeping value creation in Germany and driving forward the transformation of the supply industry.
Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder: “Germany is an international leader in hydrogen and fuel cell technology. For this key technology to make its way from research into widespread application, it needs bold entrepreneurial spirit and powerful hubs for innovation. This is exactly what the Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Centre in Pfeffenhausen, Bavaria, is doing. That is why we are supporting the establishment of the centre with start-up funding of 54 million euros. A central innovation platform for hydrogen technologies is being created here, which will decisively advance the powertrain transition in transport and at the same time secure sustainable value creation in Germany.”
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) as part of the “Guideline for the promotion of projects in the course of establishing a decentralised Hydrogen Innovation and Technology Centre” (“Richtlinie zur Förderung der Vorhaben im Zuge des Aufbaus eines dezentralen Innovations- und Technologiezentrum Wasserstoff”). Funding for this measure is also provided under the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP – Deutscher Aufbau- und Resilienzplan) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) in the NextGenerationEU programme. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).
Dagmar Fehler, CEO and spokesperson for NOW GmbH: “The ITZ-H2 southern site in Pfeffenhausen will create a modern infrastructure for the development and trialling of hydrogen technologies. The new testing facilities offer SMEs and start-ups in particular the opportunity to advance their developments more quickly. Federal funding is helping to increase technological maturity, further develop standards and thereby make applications in heavy-duty transport and aviation marketable at a faster pace. The ITZ‑H2 sites are thereby making an important contribution to strengthening Germany’s position in the field of hydrogen in the long term.”
Image: Bavarian Minister-President Dr Markus Söder attends the handover of the funding approval for WTAZ Pfeffenhausen with Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder at the Prinz-Carl-Palais in Munich on 10 February 2026. Image credit: Copyright Marc Conzelmann/Bavarian State Chancellery
About NOW GmbH
Since 2008, NOW GmbH has been supporting the federal government’s targets in its climate and industrial policy. The tasks of the federally-owned company include developing, monitoring and evaluating funding programmes about climate-neutral mobility and energy supply. NOW GmbH experts supervise projects in the areas of hydrogen, fuel cells, battery and renewable fuels. They reimagine mobility and fuels for cars, buses, trains, commercial vehicles, ships and airplanes, and support the establishment and further development of charging infrastructure and hydrogen refuelling stations for cars and trucks. More information on NOW can be found here.
