Germany and Canada agree on hydrogen alliance

Created: 08/23/2022, 23:58

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (l) receives Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in the Montreal Science Centre.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

It is an energy partnership that should reach far into the future.

Germany and Canada want to work closely together in the production of hydrogen.

Stephenville - Germany and Canada have agreed on a long-term cooperation for the production and transport of hydrogen.

Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) and Canadian Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson signed an agreement on Tuesday in Stephenville in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador that will lead to the export of hydrogen from Canada to Germany from 2025.

The signing took place in the presence of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Scholz said the agreement will take the partnership with Canada to a more strategic level.

Trudeau spoke of a "historic step forward".

The agreement will create jobs, boost the local economy and contribute to the production of clean energy.

Newfoundland is considered a favorable location for the production of green hydrogen, which is generated with the help of renewable energies.

There is a lot of wind in the sparsely populated region and a lot of space to convert it into energy.

No greenhouse gases are produced when using hydrogen.

However, to produce it, water has to be split into hydrogen and oxygen, which requires a great deal of energy.

This electrolysis is only climate-friendly if sustainably produced energy is used, for example electricity from the sun or wind.

In principle, hydrogen can serve as the basis for fuels, to replace coal, oil and natural gas in industry and transport, for example.

Because the production is very energy-intensive, hydrogen is currently still significantly more expensive than fossil fuels.

Scholz and Habeck are on a three-day trip to Canada with a business delegation.

The signing of the agreement marks the end of the journey.

In the evening (local time) both fly back to Berlin.

dpa