The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has participated in a week-long programme on the Energy Transition Policy of the German Government on Hydrogen in Berlin, Brandenburg and Lower Saxony in Germany.

The programme which started virtually as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic moved to in-person interaction on May 29th and ended on June 4th 2022, after extensive discussions and information sessions and visits covering the Green Hydrogen Policy Programme of Germany's Energy Transition Drive.

The institute was represented by Edmond Kombat, Director of Research, who was earlier selected by the German Government in September 2020 to represent West and Central Africa in the programme.

Mr. Kombat joined other energy experts and industry players from Slovakia, Romania, Spain, Namibia, Poland, South Africa, India, Argentina, Czech Republic and the United States to understudy Germany's progress on its energy transition to reduce CO2 emission targets to Net Zero by 2045 for itself and 2050 for the EU.

On the back of the Global Movement of a Net Zero CO2 emissions, Germany and the EU have adopted an agenda to produce Green Hydrogen from Renewable Energy sources as an alternative to fossil fuels and seeks global partnership in that endeavour.

The programme covered areas like German hydrogen strategy and partnerships with developing countries, projects and funding programs for electro-mobility with hydrogen and fuel cells, hydrogen infrastructure, producing hydrogen from wind and solar through an electrolysis process among others.

Informative tours covered Hannover Messe — arguably the biggest technology and innovation fair in Europe and academic institutions, focused primarily on hydrogen production, storage, transportation and usage.

IES applauded the German Government's 9 billion euros commitment and the larger EU's 10 billion euros commitment for the development and promotion of Green Hydrogen as an alternative source of energy to fossil fuel in line with the global objective of climate change and a carbon neutral planet.