Scotland, with its vast offshore wind farms, has set its sights on becoming a key supplier of green hydrogen to Germany. The country's Energy Minister, Gillian Martin, has outlined plans to leverage Scotland's renewable energy surplus to produce and export green hydrogen, with Germany expected to be a major customer.
Speaking to the Funke Media Group, Martin highlighted Scotland's potential to meet a significant portion of Germany's hydrogen demand by 2030. "We will generate more electricity than we can use," Martin said. "We will use the surplus electricity to produce green hydrogen and can supply it to Germany."
Initially, green hydrogen will be transported to Germany using cryogenic containers on ships. However, Scotland is exploring a long-term solution involving a dedicated pipeline from Scotland, through northern England, to Germany. The pipeline would terminate in Emden, Lower Saxony, and is estimated to cost approximately €3.1 billion, according to a study by the state-run Net Zero Technology Center in Aberdeen.
Martin acknowledged the challenges:
"A pipeline costs a lot of money. No country can manage that alone," she explained. "But with the new Labour government in London showing a closer alignment with the EU, there is now greater confidence that this project could move forward."
Scotland’s ambitions are tied to the HyLion project, a collaborative international initiative that includes notable companies such as Siemens Energy, Bilfinger, Messer Group, and Switzerland’s Oerlikon. Plans for the project include a hydrogen production site in Aberdeen and Duisport in Duisburg as the initial import hub in Germany.
The HyLion project initially plans to export 40 tonnes of green hydrogen per day, with 15 tonnes in liquid form and the remainder for derivatives like e-methanol. These exports could grow as production ramps up to meet Germany’s energy transition needs.
Germany, which is seeking to diversify its energy sources and accelerate its transition to renewable energy, views hydrogen as a key component in decarbonizing its industrial sector. The partnership with Scotland offers a sustainable, long-term solution to support this transition.
Martin concluded by emphasizing the potential impact of collaboration between Scotland, the UK government, and the EU:
"Everything is there. We need the political will to act."