Dispute over hydrogen project: Krefeld's citizens defend themselves against municipal utilities!

Dispute over hydrogen project: Krefeld's citizens defend themselves against municipal utilities!

On March 6, 2025, there will be exciting developments in the field of sustainable energy generation in Krefeld-Lindental. Stadtwerke Krefeld (SWK) are planning to establish a system for the production of green hydrogen. The aim of this project is to operate buses and waste collection vehicles with self -produced hydrogen. The planning and structure of the infrastructure, including an electrolyser and a hydrogen filling station, are expected to begin in 2024, provided that the necessary permits are granted.

The feasibility study on the electrolysis system was launched in 2019 in cooperation with the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences. The selected location for the system, the site of the EGK Disposal Society Krefeld on Parkstrasse, was selected due to economy, scalability and logistical conditions. For the first time, ten fuel cell buses are to be refueled with hydrogen in the initial phase, whereby the system is first to be put into operation with a performance by a megawatts.

criticism of citizens' initiative

The municipal utilities have emphasized that they will comply with high security requirements, but the discussions with the citizens' initiative are crucial to clarify open questions. On March 8, the initiative is planning an on -site appointment in which the concerns of the citizens are to be brought into the political discussion.

hydrogen production and environmental awareness

The hydrogen project is not only a step to modernize the transport system in Krefeld, but also a contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and to meet the challenges of the EU Clean-Vehicle directive. The hydrogen is obtained with electricity from the waste incineration plant by electrolysis, with more than 50 % of this energy coming from biogenic sources. It is an invisible, odorless and non -toxic gas that should play a key role in the future energy supply.

SWK project manager Kerstin Abraham emphasizes that the control of the entire value chain for green energy from biomass is of crucial importance. The modularity of the planned system also enables later expansion, so that the future hydrogen supply of the entire fleet in Krefeld is secured. In view of these developments, Krefeld could become a pioneer in hydrogen production in the region and thus not only change local environmental policy, but also the mobility and heat sector.

The coming weeks will be crucial to take the concerns of the citizens' initiative seriously and at the same time promote progress in hydrogen technology. It remains to be seen how the dialogue between the municipal utilities and the citizens' initiative will develop.

For more information about the hydrogen project in Krefeld-Lindental, visit the reporting of Welle Niederrhein , Local click as well as general background to hydrogen technologies.