German projects for production of hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS) are set to benefit from faster permitting under the "hydrogen acceleration law" that could be passed on 26 February.
Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, will vote on the law on 26 February — the final step before it could enter into force.
The Bundestag's economy and energy committee has made some additions to the government's text from late 2025.
These include a clause that would add CCS-based hydrogen production projects to the infrastructure covered by the law. Only electrolytic hydrogen production and production from biogenic waste was covered in the government's version.
The committee also proposed to add import infrastructure for power-to-liquid fuels, such as synthetic aviation fuels (e-SAF) to the list of eligible infrastructure. The government's text covered only import terminals for hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and liquid organic hydrogen carriers.
Infrastructure covered by the text will be designated as being of "overriding public interest". This status gives them priority in cases of conflict with other rules, for instance those related to environmental disputes or building regulations. Facilities will also benefit from shorter permitting deadlines, partly enabled by increased digitalisation.
Besides production plants and import terminals, the law also covers storage sites, pipelines and dedicated electricity transmission assets.
Germany's coalition of conservative CDU/CSU and social-democratic SPD has repeatedly stressed a willingness to also support CCS-based hydrogen, in addition to renewable hydrogen.
