Kirsten Westphal on H2Global + EU Health Data Space + Faster construction of LNG terminals • Europe.Table

Kirsten Westphal (H2Global): ‘Building a hydrogen world will be a task for generations’
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Dear reader,

Yesterday evening, the EU Commission was still planning to submit its proposal for a sixth sanctions package against Russia to the member states of the European Union. In all likelihood, it will be presented today by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the EU Parliament. As EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell announced, the proposal will include new punitive measures against actors who deliberately spread misinformation. Furthermore, in addition to action against oil imports from Russia, the exclusion of further banks from the international communication network Swift is also planned. We will of course keep you up to date.

Green hydrogen and its derivatives play an important role in the REPowerEU plan, with which the Commission aims to make Europe less dependent on Russian energy supplies. The German funding project H2Global is dedicated to the import of hydrogen, which is vital for the industry. Kirsten Westphal heads the analysis department of the H2Global Foundation. In an interview by Manuel Berkel, she talks about the first shiploads, highly complex supply chains and Ukraine as a partner.

It is a huge undertaking: Since yesterday, the EU Commission’s proposal for the European Health Data Space has been on the table. It is intended to give European citizens digital access to their medical data and allow them to decide on its use. In addition, the data is to be made available for research purposes. Eugenie Ankowitsch took a closer look at the plans and identified first pitfalls.

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Sarah Schaefer

Feature

Kirsten Westphal: ‘Building a hydrogen world will be a generational task’

Kirsten Westphal is Executive Director Analysis & Research at the H2Global Foundation and a member of the National Hydrogen Council.

Kirsten Westphal spent a long time working on the geopolitics of energy supply as a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). Since 2021, she has headed the analysis department at H2Global, a hydrogen import tool funded by the German government. Speaking to Manuel Berkel, she talks about the importance of H2Global for the EU’s hydrogen plans.

By
Manuel Berkel

Manuel Berkel: The industry wants to invest billions in climate-friendly plants and switch its production to green hydrogen. When will the first green gas come to Europe via H2Global?

Kirsten Westphal: In the first funding window, we are not yet talking about pure hydrogen, but about derivatives – i.e. green ammonia, methanol, and fuel for aircraft. Our subsidiary HINT.CO is currently preparing the tenders for these three lots. We want to start the auction procedures in the summer and sign the contracts by the end of the year. The first shipments can then be expected between the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025.

Green hydrogen and its derivatives also play an important role in the REPowerEU plan, with which the Commission wants to make Europe less dependent on Russian energy supplies. What is the significance of H2Global as a German funding instrument for the European plans?

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