Eon to make hydrogen a new gold mine

Eon, a global energy firm, intends to make hydrogen the new gold mine.

“We need climate-neutral gases if we want to achieve climate neutrality without de-industrialization,” stated Eon CEO Leonhard Birnbaum. This largely relates to hydrogen, which is seen as a wonder weapon in the fight against global warming. Eon currently wants to cooperate with the businesses Enel and Iberdrola to develop their hydrogen distribution network. H 2 Ruhr is the name of this project.

Enel aims to use wind and solar power to create green electricity in Italy, which Eon will then distribute to electrolysers in the Ruhr area. They then manufacture hydrogen from water with the assistance of green power. Iberdrola plans to create ammonia in Spain using green power, which will then be delivered to Germany and processed into hydrogen. Birnbaum highlights the relevance of hydrogen in the decarbonization of industry. Green power may be used to replace traditional electricity, and traffic can be switched to electric vehicles. Hydrogen is the greatest answer for delivering heat to industry, which accounts for a fifth of all emissions.

“Hydrogen is not the champagne of the energy revolution, but table water,” Katherina Reiche, CEO of Eon’s network subsidiary Westenergie and the National Hydrogen Council, explains. The project is a fantastic opportunity for the Ruhr region since it brings together networks, electrolysers, and research: “Hydrogen might be the new mine for the Ruhr.” However, Eon and other incentives for the growth of hydrogen infrastructure are in the works, according to Reiche, with Brussels, Berlin, and Düsseldorf.