Switzerland Adopts National Hydrogen Strategy and Plans for Green Hydrogen Production Plant
Key Ideas
- Switzerland's Federal Council has adopted the National Hydrogen Strategy, focusing on hydrogen and power-to-X derivatives for various energy applications.
- The strategy includes recommendations for developing a domestic hydrogen market and connecting it to the European market by 2035.
- H2Uri, a joint venture, has initiated a 2 MW green hydrogen production plant to fuel a hydrogen vessel and a refueling station in Switzerland.
- The long-term plan foresees importing hydrogen from the EU or third countries due to rising demand and the lack of infrastructure in Switzerland.
Switzerland's Federal Council has recently approved the National Hydrogen Strategy, outlining key principles and goals related to hydrogen and power-to-X derivatives. These derivatives are gaseous or liquid energy products generated from hydrogen, such as synthetic methane or synthetic methanol. The strategy emphasizes the use of hydrogen from CO2-neutral production processes for various applications like high-temperature process heat, peak load coverage of CHP plants, reserve power plants, aviation, shipping, and heavy goods vehicle traffic. It also highlights the importance of developing a domestic hydrogen market and integrating it with the European market by 2035.
The strategy anticipates a limited demand for hydrogen in Switzerland until 2035, after which it might become more feasible to import hydrogen rather than producing it locally due to increasing demand. The country is expected to require large gas tanks or liquid synthetic energy agents for storage, as the current infrastructure for hydrogen storage is insufficient. The progress of the Swiss hydrogen market will be monitored under the Energy Strategy 2050 and DETEC's future energy outlook.
Simultaneously, H2Uri, a collaboration between Axpo, Schätzle, EWA-Energie Uri, and SGV Holding, has launched a 2 MW green hydrogen production facility in Bürglen. This plant aims to produce up to 260 kilotons per year of renewable hydrogen. The produced hydrogen will be used to fuel SGV's hydrogen passenger vessel on Lake Lucerne and a hydrogen refueling station operated by Avia in central Switzerland. This initiative marks a positive step towards promoting green hydrogen and advancing sustainable transportation in the region.
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Renewable Energy
Infrastructure
Green Technology
Transportation
Energy
Strategy
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