Guest lecture by Henning Homann - SPD state parliamentary group

What role should hydrogen play in Saxony's path towards an economically strong, climate-neutral circular economy?

In his visit to the Boysen-TU Dresden Research Training Group on May 25, 2023, Henning Homann, Member of the Saxon Landtag, presented the Saxon Hydrogen Strategy. Henning Homann is, among other things, the SPD state parliamentary group's spokesperson for economics, labor market policy, and transport.

Mr. Homann presented the core objectives of the hydrogen strategy and how it relates to the strategies at the European and federal levels. In this strategy, the Saxony sets itself a number of goals. These include:

• Saxony should further establish itself as an industrial as well as research location for hydrogen technologies.
• A hydrogen economy is to be created along the entire value chain.
• The potential of hydrogen technologies for sector coupling in the energy sector is to be more strongly exploited.

Quote:
"The industrial map of Europe will be rewritten in the next three, four, five, six, seven..., it will actually be rewritten in the (twenty-) thirties". (Henning Homann)

On the one hand, this is a risk, but also an opportunity for Saxony to achieve an industrial lead in hydrogen technology through targeted research, development, and transfer. To implement these goals, a series of measures are to be taken that favor innovation, strengthen start-ups, and enable the settlement and scaling of production companies. To this end, the Saxony's existing strengths in the areas of research and development as well as mechanical and plant engineering, for example for electrolyzers, are to be utilized and expanded. The hydrogen infrastructure, which already exists in sections, is to be expanded. Saxony's access to the European and national hydrogen infrastructure must be secured. Connecting the industrial core regions, especially the Chemnitz-Zwickau region, and networking with the neighboring federal states and countries should enable a transformation of the regional economy in this regard. On the way to a green hydrogen economy, Mr Homann recognizes the role of "multicolored" hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen not exclusively of green origin.

Furthermore, the Saxon Competence Centre for Hydrogen was created, which serves as a central contact point for all hydrogen issues in Saxony and links citizens, media, business, science, and the state.
The hydrogen strategy and Mr. Homann's presentation sparked a rich discussion on many topics, from aspects of technological feasibility to everyday political business.

What is right, and what is wrong, with the current planning procedures? How must public participation, rights of defense and environmental compatibility be weighed against the urgency of hydrogen expansion? Is the ramp-up of a hydrogen economy (and by extension the energy transition) "planned on the drawing board" a politically viable path or a wrong one? Here, acceptance and the availability of the necessary political energy played a role in the discussion, but also technical and economic realities. This came to a head in the question of what could "stay the same" and where drastic changes would be necessary, e.g. relocation or market exit in some sectors of the economy. There was a long discussion about how to ensure the acceptance necessary for the transformation.

Industrial policy issues were also discussed, e.g. the need for political guarantees to attract investment, and the degree of regulation of a future pipeline infrastructure. The concluding minutes addressed how political decision-makers inform themselves and how party positions are generated.
Mr Homann spoke about the process of creating the hydrogen strategy in the Kenya coalition, whose horizon is 2030, and the political paths thereafter. A horizon that is not too far in the future is important in order to be able to take the first steps of implementation quickly, said Mr Homann. However, it will be important to develop a hydrogen strategy that extends beyond 2030.  

Mr Homann's presentation also aroused the interest of the professors and students in view of a return visit to the Saxon parliament.

We would like to thank Henning Homann very much for these insights into Saxony's hydrogen policy and the subsequent discussion!