Both Basel cantons want to support the ramp-up of hydrogen
Both Basel cantons want to support the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. This is provided for in their first hydrogen strategy. The production, storage and use of green hydrogen are to be bundled in clusters and hubs.
The cantons of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft have presented their first joint hydrogen strategy. It aims to build on the region’s role as Switzerland’s energy hub and support the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. According to a statement on the strategy, the region is well positioned to do so thanks to its trimodal transport infrastructure, the Rhine ports and large tank farms.
The region intends to rely exclusively on hydrogen produced from renewable energies. This is mainly needed where high energy densities are required. The two cantons commissioned a study by the Zurich-based planning office EBP Switzerland to determine demand. According to the study, hydrogen demand in industry, heavy goods transport and shipping could account for between 0.4 and 3.4 per cent of the energy demand of both cantons in 2025.
The regional infrastructure for green hydrogen and its derivatives, such as methanol, is to cover all stages of the value chain, from production to use. The strategy focuses on both hydrogen clusters and energy hubs in order to create industrial ecosystems.
Economically, the production of green hydrogen makes sense above all in close proximity to the production of renewable energies. The municipal utility company IWB and Fritz Meyer AG are currently planning Switzerland’s largest electrolyser in the port of Birsfelden. It will have a capacity of 15 megawatts and will draw its electricity from the Birsfelden run-of-river power plant. The hydrogen could be consumed by industry in the immediate vicinity. IWB also wants to offer the planned cluster to projects in Germany and France. However, the final investment decision has not yet been made. Part of the hydrogen pipeline is already under construction along the Rhine.