Germany Needs 53GW of Hydrogen

The study warns current plans fall far short, exposing a widening gap between policy ambition and system reality.

Germany will require at least 53GW of hydrogen-capable gas-fired power plants by 2045 to maintain grid stability in a fully decarbonised energy system, according to a new study from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuernberg.

The analysis makes a blunt point: without flexible backup generation, a system dominated by wind and solar cannot guarantee security of supply. Hydrogen-ready gas plants are positioned as the missing piece, providing dispatchable capacity when renewable output drops.

The implication is clear: policy is lagging behind system needs. Without faster decisions, the risk is not just higher costs, but delays in achieving climate neutrality.

Those costs are already significant. The study estimates that transforming the energy system will require at least €324 billion [$352bn] by 2050 — a figure that underlines the scale of the transition.

“Climate neutrality is possible, but it cannot be taken for granted and continues to require high costs,” Liebensteiner commented.