CDU leader Friedrich Merz on the campaign trail
German policy in play as election looms
Country’s emerging clean hydrogen sector faces its first big political test as centre-right party leads in polls
Investors in Germany’s clean hydrogen sector are on tenterhooks as the country prepares for a snap federal election on 23 February. The poll, which comes against a backdrop of stalling economic growth in Germany, follows the collapse last year of the ruling coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), Free Democratic Party and Greens. The ‘traffic light’ coalition had overseen the first phase of growth in Germany’s clean hydrogen sector, pursuing an ambitious plan to to position Germany as a European leader in hydrogen and associated technology. 10GW – 2030 target An updated German hydrogen strategy, published in 2023, called for the deployment of 10GW of electrolyser capacity
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25 February 2026
Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia development is advancing much more slowly and unevenly than once expected, with high costs and policy uncertainty thinning investment. Meanwhile, surging energy demand is reinforcing the role of natural gas and LNG as the backbone of the global energy system, panellists at LNG2026 said
18 February 2026
Norwegian energy company has dropped a major hydrogen project and paused its CCS expansion plans as demand fails to materialise
4 February 2026
Europe’s largest electrolyser manufacturers are losing patience with policymakers as sluggish growth in the green hydrogen sector undermines their decision to expand production capacity
2 February 2026
As a fertiliser feedstock, it is indispensable, but ammonia’s potential as a carbon-free energy carrier is also making it central to global decarbonisation strategies
