The H2Eco Award was presented for the second time at Hannover Messe 2023. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck presented the prize, which is organized by Deutsche Messe and the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV), at a ceremony on Tuesday afternoon. The winner was Green Wind Innovation GmbH with its TH2Eco project. This is a hydrogen ecosystem that is currently being developed by Green Wind Innovation and regional partners. The aim is to establish a regional hydrogen market and integrate local value creation into a supra-regional market. In his laudatory speech, Habeck said that Germany has a lot of catching up to do in terms of the energy transition, but not when it comes to hydrogen. "We are at the forefront here in some sectors." He went on to emphasize: "As a systemic part of sector coupling, hydrogen is indispensable." He also appealed: "Take advantage of the momentum that prevails at the moment. Talk to each other."

Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil (left), Gunnar Groebler, CEO of Salzgitter AG, and Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (right).

© Deutsche Messe AG

Habeck took part in the tour of the trade fair before the award ceremony. The Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy and Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil presented Gunnar Groebler, CEO of Salzgitter AG, with a substantial funding check at the beginning of the ceremony. With 999,782,173.87 euros, the federal and state governments are supporting the steel producer's switch to energy-saving production methods.

The companies visited afterwards - Hawe Hydraulik, Flender, ebm-papst, Phoenix Contact, Beckhoff and Siemens Energy - all demonstrated that their technologies make the energy transition projects possible in the first place. The Federal Minister was correspondingly well informed and repeatedly emphasized his willingness to politically support the companies in the development of energy-efficient technologies to market maturity.