Stephan Weil sees opportunities for cooperation with Portugal

In the creation of a hydrogen economy and the spread of renewable energies, Prime Minister Stephan Weil sees strong prospects for close collaboration between Lower Saxony and Portugal.

“Portugal would want to start exporting green hydrogen – there is certainly a lot of interest in Germany and Lower Saxony,” the SPD lawmaker told the German Press Agency during a trip to Lisbon on Tuesday. Since Sunday, Weil has been meeting with people from politics, business, and society.

“Our industry will require vast amounts of hydrogen in the future as part of the transition, and we will most likely have to import some of it,” said the Hanover government’s leader. “For example, if we can construct a hydrogen terminal at Wilhelmshaven, that would be fantastic news for German-Portuguese cooperation.” For a long time, the Jade City has considered constructing such a system.

When renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power produce peak loads or are idle, hydrogen is a useful storage medium to compensate for power system variations. Furthermore, it may be utilized instead of fossil fuels in industrial operations to enhance CO2 balance. In Germany, a hydrogen infrastructure will be developed, but it will be costly, and there will be some criticism, comparable to the installation of new electricity lines.

The production of elementary hydrogen by splitting water (electrolysis) necessitates a large amount of power, which should ideally originate from renewable sources. “Portugal is surrounded by sea, has a lot of wind, and is a very sunny nation,” Weil added. “Not only is this excellent for tourists, but it also has a lot of promise for developing a green hydrogen economy and growing renewable energy sources.”