A solution for all sectors
In 2019, our company set the course for future industrial
use
of hydrogen. What is the strategy behind this move?
For anyone serious about decarbonization, there is no getting around
hydrogen. Marc Grünewald, Head of Business Development, is sure of it: “We need
solutions for a wide variety of applications, from private transport, through
the transport sector, to power and heat generation. The climate targets set for
2050 cannot be achieved with electric cars, LNG ship propulsion and gas power
plants alone. That’s why we at MAN Energy Solutions are focusing on
hydrogen.”
Securing outside expertise
MAN Energy Solutions’ stake in Augsburg specialists H-TEC Systems
is one element in its hydrogen strategy.
The company has been working on electrolyzers
for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen for more than 20 years. The
hydrogen produced using renewable energy can either be utilized directly or
converted into methane by combining it with carbon dioxide. This allows it to
be used for a large number of applications, including transport and energy or
heat production. The investment in H-TEC Systems looks to the future in that it
enables MAN Energy Solutions to secure extensive expertise in the
Power-to-X field, which involves converting electricity into chemical fuels.
Marc Grünewald explains why it made sense to acquire a minority interest of
40 percent to begin with: “The aim is to push ahead with 10-megawatt
plants and larger, making electrolysis attractive for industrial use. In three
years, we can review the investment and will then have the option of increasing
our stake.”
In dialogue with policymakers
Where and when MAN Energy Solutions will get into industrial
hydrogen production depends very much on political decision-making. In Germany,
our company is participating actively in the dialogue with political actors.
MAN Energy Solutions is, for example, a partner in Hydrogen Alliance
Bavaria, which was launched in Erlangen in September by Markus Söder, Prime
Minister of Bavaria, and his deputy, Hubert Aiwanger. We are also taking part
in the ‘Real-World Laboratories for the Energy Transition’ ideas competition
together with Vattenfall and ARGE Netz through the HySynGas project. This
involves development of the world’s first large-scale industrial project for
producing synthetic gases at the Brunsbüttel Industrial Park.
The climate targets set for 2050 cannot be achieved with
electric cars, LNG ship propulsion and gas ower plants alone. That’s why we at MAN Energy Solutions are focusing on
hydrogen.
Industrial production must be economic
Marc Grünewald is confident that change can be brought about at the
political level in the short term too: “Two years ago, nobody had any use for
the notion of Power-to-X, let alone producing hydrogen from green energy. But
things changed very quickly, and I predict a further sharp steepening of the
political learning curve. We want to build industrial plants, but can only do
so if there is an incentive to invest in this technology. Industrial production
must be economic.” MAN Energy Solutions is among the first in the industry
to set the course. According to Marc Grünewald, the company now needs
perseverance and a following wind from politics and society. “People will take
a lot of persuading to believe in the hydrogen world of tomorrow – as we
already do.”