Hydrogen is at the center of current discussions, as it is seen as the solution to a low-carbon future. Hydrogen offers a wide range of applications: from industrial use to drives for trucks, trains and airplanes to heating homes. It is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, stores green electricity and improves energy supply efficiency. In addition, the hydrogen core network with a length of 9,666 km was approved, which involves new construction and conversion.

We offer you a comprehensive range of hydrogen-related services. Our expertise ranges from the conversion of natural gas pipelines to hydrogen pipelines and the regulation of hydrogen to investment and financing plans for all hydrogen projects. Our interdisciplinary team of engineers, business consultants, tax advisors, accountants and lawyers ensures that your projects are optimally planned and implemented.

Especially during the current transformation phase, there are many uncertainties regarding conversion, demand and supply forecasts. We provide you with planning security for your project in terms of financing, feasibility, regulation, etc.

The demand forecast for hydrogen shows that this climate-neutral gas will become increasingly important in the coming years. Demand will rise continuously to over 350 TWh by 2045. This development shows the scope and importance of hydrogen projects for a sustainable and climate-friendly future.
 

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The future of hydrogen in Germany

As an environmentally friendly energy source, hydrogen offers a wide range of possible applications. ONLY AVAILABLE IN GERMAN.

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Our services

Transition strategy from natural gas to hydrogen

  • Development of a long-term economic and technical strategy to integrate hydrogen and maximize profitability
  • Strategic coordination and management of resources and stakeholders, as well as planning for the use of tax incentives and funding programs
  • Development of communication strategies with the public and stakeholders to support the transition and public acceptance

Commercial consulting: Hydrogen regulation

  • Amortization account - support in optimizing depreciation and provisions
  • Unbundling processes - advice on the separation of grid and sales companies
  • Advice on the use of tax incentives and funding programs
  • Review and advice on environmental requirements and standards as well as compliance with national regulations

Economic consulting: business modeling, profitability calculations, investments and funding opportunities

  • Preparation of a financial model tailored to your project - detailed cost budget and long-term business plan including profitability calculation and profitability forecast
  • Identification of the expected financing volume, forms of financing and funding opportunities through a professional business case
  • Conducting market and risk analyses as well as economic benchmarking
  • Planning and visualization of all important KPIs
  • In this context, we work closely with our financial experts and auditors

Technical consulting: hydrogen production, transportation, storage and expansion of the hydrogen grid

  • Analysis of the existing natural gas infrastructure (status analysis)
  • Conducting demand analyses and preparing demand forecasts
  • Evaluation of the technical feasibility of the transition and analysis of other supply options (potential analysis)
  • Support with the integration of hydrogen into existing energy systems
  • Advice on various production and storage solutions
  • Development of various concepts and target network planning

Project management and communication

  • Development of project plans and schedules
  • Coordination of stakeholders and partners
  • Quality consulting during the transition
  • Monitoring the project progress 
  • Documentation and reporting
     
Hartmut Müller

Hartmut Müller

Partner

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Hydrogen as a driving force for a sustainable future

Hydrogen is at the center of current discussions, as it is seen as the key to a low-carbon future. As the most common chemical element in the universe, hydrogen has a wide range of applications: from industrial use to drives for trucks, trains and airplanes to heating homes. It is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, stores green electricity and improves energy supply efficiency.

Why is hydrogen so important at the moment?

The increasing focus on hydrogen is being driven by various global and political developments. Political decisions and legislation, class-action lawsuits against polluters and the increased promotion of renewable energies play a central role in this context. One example is the German Building Energy Act (“GeG”), which promotes the use of renewable energies.

European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB)

A major initiative in this area is the European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) project, which aims to accelerate Europe’s decarbonization goals. The EHB initiative defines the crucial role of hydrogen infrastructure, based on existing and new pipelines, in order to develop a competitive, liquid, pan-European market for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen. This initiative promotes market competition, security of supply, security of demand and cross-border cooperation between European countries and their neighbors.

Hydrogen as a driving force for a sustainable and flexible energy future

Hydrogen is an environmentally friendly energy source, as its combustion or use in fuel cells only produces water without releasing CO₂ emissions. Hydrogen can be produced either by electrolysis, in which water is split using electricity from renewable energy sources, or by steam reforming of natural gas.
Hydrogen can be stored in large quantities and transported both via pipelines and in pressurized tanks, which underlines its flexibility as an energy source. It has a wide range of applications, including electricity generation in power plants, use in fuel cell vehicles and use in industry, where it is used both as a raw material and to generate process heat.

A key area of application for hydrogen is the integration of renewable energies. It serves as an energy storage system by storing surplus wind and solar power and feeding it back into the grid when required. This property makes hydrogen an important building block for a sustainable and low-emission energy future.

Wasserstoff H2
Illustration of hydrogen molecules (H2).

Hydrogen: Your challenges, our solution

  • Sustainability: Current hydrogen production is not sufficient in order to meet the needs of the shipping industry. The majority of production consists of gray hydrogen, which is not sustainable and causes significant CO₂ emissions.
  • Infrastructure: In order to make hydrogen usable as a fuel for shipping, ports must be adapted accordingly. This requires considerable investment in the infrastructure for hydrogen handling. In addition, the ships themselves must be converted for hydrogen propulsion, which is associated with further technical and financial challenges.
  • Costs: The price of green hydrogen is currently significantly higher than that of fossil fuels. This makes the switch to hydrogen economically unattractive. In addition, the costs of converting or retrofitting ships are very high. In order to become competitive, it will be necessary to increase efficiency and reduce costs in electrolysis and electricity generation.
  • Logistics: Hydrogen requires intensive storage, which reduces the freight capacity of ships. This poses a logistical challenge, as there is less space available for goods, which can affect the economic efficiency of shipping.
  • Technological adaptations: Comprehensive technological adaptations are required in order to use hydrogen effectively in shipping. The long service life of seagoing vessels makes it difficult to switch to new propulsion technologies quickly. Consequently, the transition to hydrogen-powered ships is slower and involves considerable investment in research and development.
     

These industries are already using hydrogen

The wide range of possible applications shows the enormous potential of hydrogen to play a central role in a sustainable and low-emission future. From industry and transportation to energy storage – hydrogen offers solutions for the most pressing challenges of our time.

1. Industry: Steel production: Hydrogen plays a crucial role in steel production by replacing coal as a reducing agent. This process, known as hydrogen-based direct reduction, leads to a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions and enables more sustainable steel production.
2. Transportation: Fuel cell vehicles: Hydrogen is used in fuel cell vehicles in order to generate electrical energy that drives the electric motor. This technology is used in a variety of transportation vehicles, including cars, buses, trains and even ships. Fuel cell vehicles offer an emission-free alternative to conventional combustion engines and help reduce air pollution.
3. Energy: Energy storage: Hydrogen can efficiently store surplus energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy. This stored energy can be converted back into electricity when needed, thus enabling a reliable and flexible energy supply.
4. Power plants: Hydrogen can be used as a fuel in gas-fired power plants in order to generate electricity. This reduces CO₂ emissions compared to conventional fossil fuels and supports the transition to a more climate-friendly energy supply.

Storage options: There are various methods for storing hydrogen, which can be selected depending on the application and required capacity:

Pressurized storage: Hydrogen is stored under high pressure in special containers.
Liquid storage: Hydrogen is cooled to extremely low temperatures and stored in liquid form.
Chemical storage: Hydrogen is bound in chemical compounds and released again when required.
Physical storage: Innovative methods use the physical properties of materials to store hydrogen.
Underground storage: Hydrogen is stored in natural or artificial underground caverns, which can safely store large quantities.