“Empty promise” of the FDP
Habeck warns of hydrogen heaters
06/17/2023, 12:10 p.m
The FDP has prevailed: The traffic light heating compromise stipulates that gas heaters may also be installed in the future if they can be converted to hydrogen. But the Economics Minister fears that consumers could end up with hydrogen heating without hydrogen.
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck rejects an excessive focus on hydrogen in the heat transition. The Greens politician says in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” that he is “proud of every change” that makes the building energy law better. But there is “a tricky point, and that is the hydrogen”. He would be happy if gas heaters could run on hydrogen. “I’m just afraid that it’s not enough for that.” The existing hydrogen is first required for areas such as the steel industry, in which the transformation does not work any differently.
A few days ago, after a long struggle, a top group of the traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP cleared the way for the controversial heating law. The agreement envisages linking the Building Energy Act with the Heat Planning Act. Both are scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2024. Mandatory municipal heat planning is to be introduced by 2028 at the latest. As long as this is not available, gas heaters should continue to be installed instead of heat pumps if they can be converted to hydrogen. If you are connected to a district heating network, you do not have to worry.
“That’s a lie”
The FDP in particular insists on this type of openness to technology. Habeck, however, warns against making “empty promises” to consumers. First of all, “it must be reliably clarified whether and where hydrogen is really available for heating”. Otherwise consumers would end up with a hydrogen heater without hydrogen. “That would be very expensive.”
Experts are also skeptical as to whether hydrogen can contribute to the heat transition. A former member of the German Hydrogen Council recently spoke of one “irresponsible” Financial support. Similar tones can be heard from the industry: “Anyone who claims that green hydrogen will end up in sufficient quantities in domestic heating in the next 15 years is, in my view, unpatriotic,” says Thermondo boss Philipp Pausder. “That really is a lie.”