Switzerland adopts its national hydrogen strategy

Switzerland's Federal Council has adopted the National Hydrogen Strategy, defining guiding principles and objectives for hydrogen and power-to-X derivatives, i.e. gaseous or liquid energy agents produced from hydrogen, such as synthetic methane or synthetic methanol. 

The strategy recommends measures for the development of a domestic hydrogen market, using hydrogen from CO₂-neutral production processes for high-temperature process heat, peak load coverage of CHP plants and heating networks, reserve power plants, aviation, shipping and heavy goods vehicle traffic. It also recommends the connection of the Swiss hydrogen market to the European market. From 2035 onwards, the transmission and distribution infrastructure in Europe is estimated to be sufficiently developed to allow imports into Switzerland. Large gas tanks will be needed to store it, which are still lacking in Switzerland, or hydrogen will have to be converted into liquid synthetic energy agents.

The strategy expects low demand for hydrogen in Switzerland until 2035; in the long-term, rising demand will make it more advantageous to import from the European Union or third countries than to produce it in Switzerland. The development of the Swiss hydrogen market will be represented in the monitoring of the Energy Strategy 2050 and in the future energy outlook of DETEC. 

Meanwhile, H2Uri - a joint venture of Axpo,  Schätzle, EWA-Energie Uri and SGV Holding - has started a new 2 MW green hydrogen production plant in Bürglen, whilch should produce up to 260 kt/year of renewable hydrogen to fuel SGV's hydrogen passenger vessel on Lake Lucerne and an Avia's hydrogen refuelling station in central Switzerland.