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