STUDY TOUR ON GREEN HYDROGEN IN GERMANY AND BELGIUM

From 24 June 2023 to 02 July 2023, a study tour on green hydrogen for Vietnamese delegations was held in Germany and Belgium. The tour aims to exchange experiences and knowledge on green hydrogen and PtX development, covering topics on technology, policy and legislation design. The study tour unveiled numerous innovative projects and highlighted the crucial role green hydrogen in achieving a sustainable, low-carbon energy transition.

During a week-long tour, the participants delved deep into Germany’s cutting-edge initiatives in green hydrogen technology, met with representatives of the European Commission and were introduced to the European legal policies on green hydrogen. From visiting the first innovative hydrogen production facilities to engaging in insightful discussions with leading experts and policymakers, the tour provided the delegation with a comprehensive understanding of the potential of green hydrogen as a clean energy solution for the future.

Delegations met with representatives of the European Commission and enterprise. Photo credit to GIZ/ESP

Covestro and Leverkusen/Perth Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) will formalise an agreement under which FFI will supply Covestro with the equivalent of up to 100,000 tons of green hydrogen per year. The arrangement will enable Covestro to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 900,000 tons of CO2 per year, by replacing grey hydrogen and its derivatives with green hydrogen.

Wilo, the winner of the German Sustainability Award 2021 in the “Climate” category, is fully aware of its corporate responsibility and has reaffirmed its commitment to climate protection and sustainability. By providing products that counteract climate change and energy shortages, Wilo is promoting future-oriented, environmentally friendly solutions like the production of Hydrogen. Wilo pumps and systems will play an important role to make the production of green hydrogen even more efficient in the future.

Delegations engaged in discussions with leading experts and policymakers. Photo credit to GIZ/ESP

One of the participants, Huynh Minh Thuan, Head of Petro Chemical Technology Department at the Vietnam Petroleum Institute (VPI), emphasized the significance of the study tour. He highly appreciated the research, evaluation, and infrastructure improvement initiatives undertaken by Germany and other European countries in the field of green hydrogen and energy transition. He stated that: “Viet Nam needs more experiences in energy transition as we are just at the initial stage of development. We have exchanged our ideas with each other during this trip. This is a strong foundation for us to cooperate and develop together”.

Markus Bissel, the Head of Vietnamese – German Energy Dialogue from GIZ expressed his hopes for the study tour to inspire ideas and facilitate the development of legal frameworks for PtX initiatives in Viet Nam. The tour was also expected to equip participants with a wealth of knowledge and experiences, encouraging fruitful discussions and fostering meaningful connections within the green hydrogen community.

The study tour is part of the Power-to-X (PtX) activities of the GIZ Energy Support Programme with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).