German State, Gazprom In Talks On Plants To Produce Hydrogen From Gas - Representative

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2021) The authorities of Germany's northern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Russia's energy giant Gazprom are negotiating the possibility of building plants for the production of hydrogen from natural gas supplied via the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, Trade Representative of Russia in Germany Andrei Sobolev said in an interview with Sputnik.

"Negotiations are also underway between the government of the Federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Gazprom on the possibility of constructing in the area of the city of Lubmin plants for the production of hydrogen from natural gas supplied through the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines," Sobolev said when asked to comment on specific joint projects between Russia and Germany in this area.

The sides have also signed an agreement of understanding in the field of production and supply of hydrogen between Russian energy company Novatek and German energy company Uniper, within which the parties intend to jointly develop the production, transportation and supply of hydrogen, including at Uniper power plants in Russia and Western Europe, he said.

Germany is currently paying much attention to the development of technologies for decarbonization of the economy, the participants of the future federal government have declared the goal of making the country the leading international market for "green" hydrogen, however, Berlin will certainly not be able to achieve such an ambitious goal without international partnership, the trade representative added.

"At a time when hydrogen technologies are becoming an important area of activity for German exporters, and the Russian hydrogen strategy provides for the country's global leadership in the production and export of hydrogen and the gaining of a 20% share in the world market by 2030, Russian-German cooperation in production and supply hydrogen is seen as a logical step and hides a really great potential for the implementation of joint projects," Sobolev said.