The energy supplier EWE has published the results of its market survey on hydrogen demand, which began in February. The energy company states that the demand considerably exceeds the planned production capacities. Companies from the steel and chemical industries in particular have registered high demand.
The nationwide survey was directed at all market participants who require green hydrogen. EWE received feedback from companies in the manufacturing sector, particularly from the steel industry. Other responses came from the chemical industry as well as energy traders and infrastructure operators for mobility.
According to Timo di Nardo, Head of Commercial and Sales Hydrogen in the Large-scale Storage and Hydrogen business area at EWE, the "great interest" shown by energy traders surprised the EWE experts: "We would have expected this more for later phases with more liquid markets."
Overall, the company is "very satisfied" with the result of the inquiry. It represents a "good basis" for the company's own expansion of hydrogen production capacities.
Hydrogen capacities lower than demand
According to di Nardo, the hydrogen requirements registered for the years 2027 to 2036 exceed EWE's planned production capacities many times over. The company is currently planning to build up an electrolysis capacity of around 400 megawatts by 2027. This is expected to exceed 1 gigawatt by 2030. However, binding purchase agreements would be required to scale up production volumes in line with the quantities required according to the survey.
The survey also showed that companies want more regulatory certainty for the use of green hydrogen. This applies in particular with regard to security of supply. However, the path taken with the hydrogen core network is a first step in the right direction. In addition, future hydrogen customers expect subsidy instruments in the course of the hydrogen ramp-up that cushion the initial additional costs for hydrogen compared to conventional energy sources.
In the IPCEI project "Clean Hydrogen Coastline", EWE is pursuing various hydrogen projects along the entire value chain. In addition to the production of hydrogen, this also includes transportation and its use, particularly in the industrial and transport sectors. The storage of hydrogen in underground cavern storage facilities is also part of the large-scale project. EWE is currently testing this in a hydrogen test cavern at its gas storage site in Rüder, Brandenburg. The company determined the storage requirements last fall; here, too, the need was greater than previously assumed.
