Think tanks and opposition parliamentarians have criticised the German economy ministry’s draft National Hydrogen Strategy for including the use of the controversial carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to produce CO2 emission-free hydrogen. “This is especially problematic, as CCS is only available to a limited extent and is urgently needed in other areas, such as industry,” wrote Felix Heilmann of climate think tank E3G in a message on Twitter. “Clear prioritisation is needed here; CCS cannot be the ‘wild card’ for every sector.” Ingrid Nestle, energy industry spokesperson for the Green Party parliamentary group, welcomed the government’s realisation that only green hydrogen was sustainable. “Too bad, however, that it has deprived itself of this option by blocking renewables expansion, and now has to put blue and therefore fossil hydrogen at the centre of its strategy for the next few years,” Nestle said in an e-mailed statement.

The draft hydrogen strategy, seen by Clean Energy Wire, stipulates that while only “green” hydrogen produced with renewables (using electrolysers) “is sustainable in the long term”, “blue” hydrogen “will have to play a role for economic reasons to quickly establish the technology in the market to decarbonise various areas of application.”