Hydrogen project in Schwäbisch Gmünd: Chance or expensive experiment?

Hydrogen project in Schwäbisch Gmünd: Chance or expensive experiment?

Schwäbisch Gmünd, Deutschland - The hydrogen project in Schwäbisch Gmünd ensures mixed feelings. Mayor Richard Arnold describes the project as a "experiment" and complains that despite his potential, there are uncertainties on the economic load capacity. The electrolyser, who represents one of the largest in Germany, is about to complete, but the question remains whether it can actually serve as an economic solution for the future. On the one hand there are promising approaches, but on the other the interested party has already canceled a hydrogen petrol station, which also complicated the plans.
The electrolyser has a size of 10 megawatts and can produce up to 4,000 kilograms of hydrogen every day. Nevertheless, critics raise concerns because the amount of water and electricity is enormous: it is around 18 million liters of water and 220 megawatt hours of electricity that are needed every year. Remszeitung reports .

A common problem is the lack of industrial customers for the hydrogen produced in the region. Arnold had originally expressed high expectations and spoke of up to 3,000 new jobs. But the reality shows that there is a lack of demand and the stable infrastructure to achieve the ambitious goals. The hydrogen is said to supply four H2 mobility petrol stations, but the question remains whether they are actually used by the potential customers.

The project is financed by high investments, including millions of euros from tax funds, which will benefit the French company Lhyfe in particular. This already operates several electrolysers in France and supplies around 50 customers. For the success of the project in Schwäbisch Gmünd, the settlement of industries that need hydrogen should progress.

sustainable industrial and technology park H2-asps

In the context of the hydrogen project, the sustainable industrial and technology park H2-Aspen is also worth mentioning, which is created by the city administration in Schwäbisch Gmünd. The technology park relies on high ecological standards and pursues the goal of enabling climate -neutral production by supplying renewable energies and hydrogen. The construction of the electrolyseurs, which began in October 2023, is also an integral part of this project. The website of the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd informs about it .

The areas of the H2 asp are completely owned by the city and offer ideal conditions for start-ups and research institutions. Here the basis for a comprehensive change in the area of ​​hydrogen is laid, which is also funded by the landlord and the EU by the ERDR program with around 33 million euros.

global perspectives for hydrogen

But the way to a functioning hydrogen economy is not only locally, but also globally challenging. In a webinar, the publication "Energy for Germany 2023" was presented, in which the realignment of the gas and hydrogen infrastructure in northwestern Europe was emphasized as the key to achieving climate neutrality. The competition for hydrogen is particularly large in the international area, and the competition from Asia is increasing. Weltenergierat has provided comprehensive information.

The developments in Schwäbisch Gmünd therefore reflect a larger trend that aims to expand the use of hydrogen as an energy source and thus create a basis for a sustainable future. But success depends crucially on the settlement of suitable industries and the creation of a stable infrastructure - and there is still a lot to do here.