A joint Initiative with the EU in The hydrogen-Switzerland is a Federal councillor Simonetta Sommaruga is of the essence, together with the Energy Ministers of six EU States in Brussels to a plan of action for the use of hydrogen.Stephan Israel from Brüssel0 comment a hydrogen filling station for trucks, so far only as a pilot project in Switzerland.Photo: Gaëtan Bally (Keystone)

It is rare for Switzerland together with the EU States to an appeal to the EU Commission. Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga has signed with the Energy Ministers of six EU States as a political Declaration in which, among other things, Brussels will be prompted for an action plan for the use of hydrogen to elaborate.

Switzerland since 2011 as an observer in the so-called pentalateral energy forum together with the founding States, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg as well as Austria. The potential of hydrogen must be used in order to achieve the EU’s target of climate neutrality by 2050, the group writes. The countries stress the collaboration in the field of hydrogen expand.

Only in pilot projects

The focus should be on renewable hydrogen, the conversion of water in fuel so with Wind or solar energy or water power to be made. Especially in the transport sector and in industry, the potential is seen to replace coal, Oil and Gas by the so-called green hydrogen. So far, it is missing not only on the trust in the new energy or infrastructure, for example, in the future, the existing gas network of converting plants. In Switzerland, there are only individual pilot projects – for example, in the transport industry.

The group is urging the EU Commission to present promptly a roadmap for the Development of hydrogen energy. This is to secure Europe’s Position as the avant-garde. The value creation should happen in Europe, hydrogen technology, not on other continents to migrate. What is needed is a legal framework, common Standards and in the framework of the research programme “Horizon Europe” means for the research. Curiously, at the Declaration of the footnote to the section on the work order to the EU Commission, in the Switzerland is distant is not: “Switzerland calls as a Non-member of the EU-Commission to act for the hydrogen, but it supports the content of the call.”

replacement for the current agreement

The energy forum of the Penta countries is for Switzerland, as an informal framework to be very valuable to participate in the discussion and to introduce positions, is it from the Swiss side. This, as long as there is no electricity or energy agreements with the EU. A practical ausverhandelter design for years, due to the unresolved dispute to the institutional framework of the agreement on ice. However, Switzerland could be the hydrogen as in the case of the Integration of the EU electricity market. Here, too, the Penta-goods-States the driving force. As it was then, with the coupling of the electricity markets, specifically, had to remain in Switzerland in the absence of an agreement on Electricity outside.

The EU Commission announced on Monday, at 8. To present July its hydrogen strategy. Similar to the so-called battery Alliance is industry policy, so in order to attempt a future technology to retrieve, respectively, in Europe to be settled.

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