Hydrogen is one of the central pillars of Germany’s strategy for climate protection. The cities of Düsseldorf, Duisburg and Wuppertal in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have set out their joint vision for using hydrogen in vehicles, trains and ships the region, in cooperation with the private sector. The concept entitled “Kompetenzregion Wasserstoff Düssel.Rhein.Wupper” was submitted as an entry to the “Model Region Hydrogen Mobility” competition which was funded by the NRW’s Ministry of Economic Affairs.

"The Kompetenzregion Wasserstoff shows how hydrogen can contribute to implementing the traffic turnaround in the region. And it does so in close cooperation between municipalities, municipal companies and industry. We are pleased to have been able to accompany this exciting project", says Marcel Malcher, CEO of Becker Büttner Held Consulting AG (BBHC), the managing partner in the consortium, in a press release.

The hydrogen (H2) used in the mobility sector will primarily be generated by waste-to-energy plants – around half of the electricity will be derived from biogenic waste (for example, from food production or compost). This green electricity will power electrolysers to produce H2 gas in the middle of the city. Power needs could be supplemented by wind and solar in future.

The vehicles that have been identified as most suitable for H2 propulsion include waste collection trucks, buses and commercial transportation lorries. The logistics sector in particular has been earmarked for having huge potential covering, as it does, water, road and rail. The consortium has suggested various pathways to realising the hydrogen value chain in NRW but significant investment will be needed in refuelling infrastructure and hydrogen logistics. Over 50 companies have contributed their perspectives and proposals for individual projects to the H2 mobility concept.