The Department for Economy, Infrastructure, Tourism, and Labor is currently collaborating with national and international partners to develop the foundations for expanding a hydrogen refueling station network for freight traffic along the Trans-European Transport Network from Rostock via Berlin-Brandenburg, Poznan, Kaunas, Vidzeme to Helsinki.
A meeting of the nine project partners from seven countries of the Baltic Sea region (Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, and Finland) took place in Rostock on this topic.
The goal of the “HyTruck” project is to support the development of a cross-border network of green hydrogen (H2) refueling stations for heavy-duty transport.
With the natural conditions as a vast, wind- and sun-rich coastal region and the ports as energy hubs, Germany is predestined for the utilization and value creation of renewable energies.
“With green electricity, we have the potential to become a hydrogen generation and consumption region,” says Ines Jesse, State Secretary in the Department for Economy, Infrastructure, Tourism, and Labor on the occasion of the event.
In this regard, freight and logistics companies maintaining large fleets of heavy vehicles could contribute to climate neutrality by investing in hydrogen vehicles.
A prerequisite for a hydrogen-powered truck to travel across the Baltic Sea region is the ability to refuel H2 en route.
Furthermore, the project will also investigate areas potentially suitable for a hydrogen refueling station for heavy-duty traffic.
For Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, these are the Rostock region and the A19/A20 motorway junction.
“The Rostock region has excellent conditions to take the lead as the first hydrogen hub in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,” said Jesse.
“Starting with the Rostock Energy Port, the planned IPCEI projects, the planned hydrogen core network running from Rostock to the south, the cross-connection between Rostock and Lubmin, and the well-established research landscape in the region – all these factors will contribute to accelerating the hydrogen ramp-up in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,” states Jesse.
“Currently, there are two hydrogen refueling stations in the Rostock area, one for hydrogen cars by H2Mobility and the first hydrogen refueling station for heavy-duty traffic by H2APEX in Rostock-Laage,” she adds.
European Territorial Cooperation
In the funding period from 2021 to 2027, European Territorial Cooperation remains one of the central objectives of European cohesion policy, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
In total, over eight billion euros are available for the implementation of Interreg projects throughout Europe in the 2021-2027 funding period.
Approximately 2.6 million euros are allocated for the “HyTruck” project for 36 months.
As the so-called lead partner of the project, the Ministry of Economy has a budget of 618,000 euros, of which the own contribution amounts to 123,600 euros.
Interreg is divided into three strands: Interreg-A stands for cross-border cooperation (in MV: cooperation with Poland and across maritime borders in the southern Baltic Sea region); and Interreg-B stands for transnational, regional development cooperation in defined cooperation areas.
Currently, 14 cooperation areas are distinguished, in which a variety of different projects are carried out.
Germany is represented in six of these programs: Alpine Space, Danube, Central Europe, North Sea Region, North-West Europe, and Baltic Sea Region.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is represented in the Baltic Sea Region and Central Europe areas.
Interreg-C supports thematic cooperation among European partners.
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