Investigating the Practicality of Hydrogen Bonding: Crucial Move Towards a Novel Economy and Environmental Defense
In the heart of Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia region, a significant stride towards a greener future is underway. The cities of Neuss and Düsseldorf-West are at the forefront of this transformation, with a focus on hydrogen as a key player in their energy transition.
Thomas Walkiewicz, Technical Managing Director of Neuss's municipal utilities, underscores the importance of connecting companies and consumers to a future-proof infrastructure. This emphasis is evident in the active progression of the hydrogen network expansion in the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West region.
A notable development is the feasibility study launched by the gas pipeline operator Thyssengas. This study aims to extend hydrogen pipeline connections to Neuss and Düsseldorf, indicating concrete plans to enhance hydrogen infrastructure in the area.
In Düsseldorf itself, a landmark event occurred when H2 MOBILITY, Rheinbahn, and Stadtwerke Düsseldorf inaugurated Europe’s most powerful hydrogen refuelling station on Höherweg. Capable of dispensing up to five tonnes of hydrogen daily, this station refuels multiple vehicle types simultaneously, fostering an integrated hydrogen mobility ecosystem in the region.
The expansion of hydrogen infrastructure in Neuss contributes significantly to sustainable energy supply. Industrial applications, such as Universal Eisen und Stahl GmbH's efforts to replace coal with green hydrogen for their steel production process, highlight how hydrogen energy supports decarbonization locally.
The hydrogen network expansion is part of a three-stage concept, which includes connecting to an existing natural gas pipeline for hydrogen use, converting a Thyssengas pipeline, and targeted new construction for industrial consumers. The federal hydrogen core network, a 9,700-kilometer pipeline network planned to be built in Germany by 2032, is a key component of this strategy.
Mayor Reiner Breuer emphasizes that hydrogen is strategically important for the city of Neuss for the future viability of industry and climate protection. Close partnership between all parties involved is necessary for connecting companies and consumers to a future-proof infrastructure.
As the feasibility study in Neuss progresses towards completion by the end of 2025, it lays the foundation for a regional hydrogen transport infrastructure. This infrastructure, once established, will connect industry, ports, storage facilities, and power plants, playing a central role in Neuss's heat planning and considered a key technology for decarbonizing industrial processes and providing climate-neutral heat in the long term.
Speira, a key collaborator in this endeavour, considers hydrogen a key to decarbonization, enabling sustainable production processes. Thyssengas, Düsseldorf's network company, Neuss's municipal utilities, and Speira are collaborating to explore network expansion for hydrogen consumers in the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West region.
Timely access to the H2 core network is crucial for industries in Neuss, and it must also be a price alternative for these industries. The hydrogen core network, once fully operational, will transport hydrogen as an energy carrier, serving as a key component of the energy transition.
In summary, the hydrogen network expansion through pipeline feasibility studies and new high-capacity refuelling stations supports an integrated hydrogen ecosystem in the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West region. It underpins sustainable energy transition efforts by enabling mobility and industrial processes to shift toward green hydrogen, substantially contributing to reducing carbon emissions in Neuss’s energy supply.
- The focus on hydrogen as a key player in the energy transition in Neuss and Düsseldorf-West underscores the importance of renewable energy in the industry.
- The expansion of the hydrogen network in the region, including the feasibility study by Thyssengas, aligns with the environmental-science goal of decarbonization.
- The establishment of a regional hydrogen transport infrastructure, connecting industry, ports, storage facilities, and power plants, is a significant step towards finance-friendly, sustainable production processes.
- The operation of Europe’s most powerful hydrogen refueling station in Düsseldorf and the efforts of companies like Universal Eisen und Stahl GmbH to replace coal with green hydrogen, showcase the impact of hydrogen energy on the environment.
