Germany, Russia sign hydrogen pact
Germany and Russia have signed a joint declaration of intent to co-operate in the field of sustainable energy, the Russian energy ministry reported on April 20, listing hydrogen as a key area of focus.
Germany sees hydrogen as an important solution for decarbonising hard-to-abate industries, as it strives to become carbon neutral by 2050. Russia is Germany's biggest natural gas supplier, meaning it could be well placed in terms of infrastructure and resources to be a key hydrogen supplier to the country in the future as well.
German economy minister Peter Altmaier pointed to Russia's potential as a source of hydrogen supplies to Germany in February, noting that the two sides were looking to broaden co-operation in this field.
Russia could produce blue hydrogen for export from its abundant gas resources, capturing CO2 emissions from the process to make the fuel clean. It could also exploit its vast renewable power potential to produce green hydrogen from water by electrolysis.