In the run-up to the July 9 inaugural meeting of the National Hydrogen Council established by the German federal government, E.ON has called for a green-gas quota. The share of fossil gases must continually decline and that of green gas increase. The introduction of a technology- and origin-neutral quota for green gas can help achieve this.

Thomas König, the member of the E.ON SE Management Board responsible for network operations, said: 
“If we want to be fully decarbonized by 2050, gas needs to progressively become green. Alongside the direct use of renewable electricity, green gas will become a key facet of the energy transition. This will require a stable long-term regulatory environment and laws that promote investment.” König added: “E.ON will support the scale-up of green gas along the entire value chain in order to help Europe achieve carbon neutrality in industry, transport and, over the long term, in buildings by 2050.”

Hydrogen will account for a large proportion of green gases and make an important contribution to emission reduction in cases where direct electrification is not technically feasible or sensible. E.ON intends to leverage its existing infrastructure and its many years of expertise in both the electricity and gas sectors to be a pacesetter in hydrogen technology.

Katherina Reiche, CEO of E.ON subsidiary Westenergie and a member of the federal government’s National Hydrogen Council, said: 
“We aim to blend the desired amount of green gas with the natural gas in our distribution networks or, if necessary, to supply 100 percent hydrogen. We’ve already launched a number of regional projects across the Group and are working to make our networks hydrogen-ready.”

E.ON and thyssenkrupp recently collaborated to make hydrogen technology smarter by enabling the large-scale electrolysis units that the equipment manufacturer produces for industrial enterprises to be connected to E.ON’s virtual power plant. This innovation makes the units more attractive for operators and allows them to market their ability to adapt to overall electricity demand and thereby to generate additional income on the electricity market.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: E.ON Climate & Renewables