Germany will invest up to €290 million to launch the Innovation and Technology Center for Hydrogen (Innovations- und Technologiezentrum für Wasserstoff, ITZ H₂), following the positive conclusion of a feasibility study (German only).

The Innovation and Technology Center for Hydrogen (ITZ) is intended to support companies in their development activities in the transport sector. In particular, this involves offerings in the highly specialized area of testing and certification that are not yet available on the market.

With its services, the center will also support international cooperation to set standards and offer small and medium-sized companies a development environment in which to prepare for international competition.

ITZ Hydrogen services for companies and potential users. Source: BMDV

The ITZ for Hydrogen will be in four locations: Chemnitz, Duisburg, Pfeffenhausen and a North German cluster for ship and aviation applications (Bremen/Bremerhaven, Hamburg and Stade). The federal states hosting the four elements will provide additional support.

• ITZ Chemnitz will focus on the vehicle drive train, the fuel cell system, the fuel cell stack and their individual components of passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and rail vehicles. The services range from research, testing, inspection, certification, training and further education to rentable H₂ laboratories and H₂ workshops for startups, SMEs, developers, suppliers and vehicle manufacturers.

• ITZ Duisburg will primarily examine compressed gas hydrogen applications in land-based modes of transport and inland waterway vessels. It will focus on the areas of innovation support, regulation, codes & standards, training and further education concepts as well as testing and certification, especially for SMEs and start-ups. Research and testing takes place at the satellite locations of the ITZ site in Duisburg.

• ITZ Pfeffenhausen will focus on on-board storage, drive integration and refueling heavy commercial vehicles, passenger cars and small aircraft or urban air aviation. Among other things, it is intended to provide a cryogenic hydrogen infrastructure and support suppliers, start-ups and vehicle developers in the areas of testing, inspection, approval, regulation, codes & standards, as well as training and education.

• ITZ north (Hamburg, Bremen/ Bremerhaven, Stade) will offer services for hydrogen and fuel cell applications in aviation and shipping. In aviation, one focus is on liquid hydrogen, while derivatives are also included in shipping. The range of services extends to research, testing and services for regulation, codes and standards as well as training and further education.

Hydrogen is the chance to make large parts of mobility and the economy climate-neutral. Before we can optimally use hydrogen as an energy carrier, we still have to invest a great deal in research and development. This we do. The feasibility study for an innovation and technology center confirms the approach of the BMDV. Now we can start implementing it.

—Dr Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport