Hydrogen trade fair at the Kulturmuschel Jülich since 2021
The hydrogen network was launched last year by the city of Aachen, the Aachen city region and the districts of Düren, Euskirchen and Heinsberg in order to establish a nationwide model region for hydrogen with the support of the Aachen Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
The aim is to generate industrial added value locally, which will lead to new jobs in the region in the medium to long term and help to strengthen and expand the local hydrogen economy.
The district of Düren has been relying on hydrogen for a long time. Five H2 buses are already on the road in the district, with more to follow, as well as filling stations and the production of green hydrogen. The federal government is supporting the efforts in the district of Düren with a grant of around 75 million euros. Among other things, this will be used to purchase 17 hydrogen trains.
860 million for the hydrogen model region
Forschungszentrum Jülich will establish a Helmholtz Cluster for a sustainable and infrastructure-compatible hydrogen economy, HC-H2 for short, in the Rhineland mining area. The lighthouse project for research-driven new value creation will be funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with around 860 million euros over a period of around 17 years as part of the Coal Regions Investment Act.
The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is also contributing to the development of the HC-H2 with state funds.
The HC-H2 is intended to provide a strong impetus for the development of the Rhenish mining district and, beyond that, the entire industrial location of North Rhine-Westphalia into a hydrogen model region with European appeal. The Rhenish mining district is to be strengthened as an attractive location for innovative energy companies, industrial settlements and start-ups. New jobs with a wide range of qualification profiles are to be created.
