Germany will rely on trade partners for the overwhelming majority of its future hydrogen needs as Europe’s largest economy charts a transition away from fossil fuels. 

The government expects two-thirds of its projected 2030 hydrogen to be imported, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who oversees economic and energy policy, said Wednesday at the presentation of the government’s revised hydrogen strategy in Berlin. To secure supplies, pipelines are planned from Spain, North Africa and Norway, he said. 

Shipping hydrogen will also be key, and Habeck has concluded energy partnerships during recent visits to Brazil and Colombia. He also discussed the issue with counterparts in India last week. 

The import strategy shows how Germany lacks the renewable power resources to become energy independent — similar to its current reliance on fossil fuel imports. The country has a relatively small coastline, where winds are strong and steady, and there’s limited sunshine for much of the year. Meanwhile, its industrial base is a massive energy user.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s administration forecasts 130 terawatt hours of hydrogen demand by 2030. To cover a portion of that, the German government aims to install around 10 gigawatt of electrolysis capacity by 2030 — double the previous target. Electrolysis is the technology that breaks water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is considered green if that process uses renewable energy. 

Most foreign exports are expected to initially come from Norway in the beginning in the form of blue hydrogen — which means derived from natural gas — through a pipeline that passes through the offshore wind parks. 

Overtime, Habeck said he expects green hydrogen to eventually dominate the market and promised subsidies to accelerate the shift, but didn’t provided figures or details on the planned measures. One instrument that has been floated is the so-called Carbon Contracts for Difference, which additional costs of building and operating climate-friendly plants for emission-intensive industries. The initial focus is on kick-starting the transition.

“We promote green and take everything,” Habeck said in front of the chancellery.