Luxembourg, Saarland Plan Hydrogen Cooperation

Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy and the Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy have announced plans to cooperate in the field of hydrogen.

At a meeting in Luxembourg on Friday 6 September 2024, the Saarland Minister of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy, Jürgen Barke, and Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, agreed on the key points of cooperation in industrial and energy policy. The two areas are planning close cooperation, particularly in the field of hydrogen supply. According to their respective ministries, Ministers Barke and Delles plan to record the results of their exchange in a joint memorandum of understanding (MoU) "in a few weeks".

Minister Barke stated: "The establishment of the Saarland hydrogen economy is progressing at a rapid pace. We have already achieved many important milestones. What matters to us is the ramp-up along the entire value chain, from production to transport and use of this energy source. Cooperation with our Luxembourg neighbour can further take our activities to the next level. I am very confident that together we can now make important contributions to the development of hydrogen technologies and build the technological bridge to an economically prosperous future for the entire border region."

Minister Delles added: "Trade with the Saarland is of great importance to Luxembourg. We have a clear interest in being connected to the cross-border hydrogen network in order to jointly advance the energy transition. Close and future-oriented cooperation in the energy sector between our two partners will have a positive impact on Luxembourg's industrial location."

The ministries noted that Luxembourg's hydrogen needs can only be partially covered by local production. Cooperation with the Saarland is thus deemed "essential". The MosaHYc pipeline will run to the Saarland-Luxembourg border (Perl). By connecting it to Belgium, the Netherlands and France, it would be possible to set up a cross-border hydrogen network. These countries could thus benefit from the project in terms of import capacities and market expansion, concluded the ministries.