The Federal Association of Wind Farm Operators Offshore e. V. (BWO) invites you today, Wednesday, to an event entitled “The Role of Offshore Wind in the Shift to a Hydrogen Economy”. Together with well-known representatives from Germany and Great Britain, experiences will be exchanged in the British embassy and the future role of green hydrogen will be discussed. After being welcomed by Sir Sebastian Wood, British Ambassador to Germany, Andreas Feicht, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, will lay the thematic foundation stone for the event with a key note.

In advance, we asked the speakers about the future of offshore wind power and the future role of green hydrogen.

Sir Sebastian Wood, was pleased about the joint event and the opportunity to present ongoing projects and to look for opportunities for cooperation. “Offshore wind energy makes an important contribution to the climate-friendly restructuring of our economy. The share of our two countries in the installed capacity in Europe was 85% last year. Hydrogen can make a contribution especially in those areas where emissions reduction is most necessary in Great Britain and Germany - in industry, in heavy goods vehicles and in the generation of heat in buildings, ”continued Sir Wood on the importance of the event and the potential of the industry.

Against the background of the recently agreed climate package and the increase in the offshore expansion cap to 20 GW, the BWO board chairwoman called for Catrin Jungthat offshore wind energy must be integrated into the federal government's hydrogen strategy. Their expansion must also be accelerated in addition to the 20 GW that are to be connected by 2030. At the same time, Jung warned against using the production of hydrogen at sea as an argument against the urgently needed network expansion.

"Europe has already taken on a global pioneering role in the development of offshore wind energy and can now also secure a pioneering role in the development, distribution and production of hydrogen from renewable sources", says Oliver Wragg, Commercial Director, The European Marine Energy Center ( EMEC) Limited on the Scottish island of Orkney. "In view of the further falling costs of offshore wind energy generation, green hydrogen will play an even greater role."

Holger Grubel, Head of Portfolio Development Offshore Wind at EnBW AG, also emphasized the advantages of offshore wind power: “The expansion of renewable energies must go further and offers the possibility of CO₂-free energy can also be brought to other sectors. Offshore wind is ideal for this because the constant generation of electricity is suitable for hydrogen production. This requires a regulatory framework that promotes this and does not prevent it as it is today. "

"In order to accelerate the market ramp-up of hydrogen technologies, the electricity for generating H2 must be cheaper," adds Uwe Knickrehm, managing director of the BWO. "There must be a reduction in taxes and surcharges!"