In coordination with our Energy Dialogue 2020 on Hydrogen Strategies in Germany and Australia we are pleased to present the first two editions of our new Periscope – Occasional Analysis Brief Series. The analyses of the Australian hydrogen strategy and Germany and the EU’s recently released hydrogen strategies suggest that our countries could be natural partners. While Australia seeks to become a hydrogen exporting nation, Germany will likely depend on imports, and strives to offer cutting edge technology to, its partners.

This Analysis Brief, prepared by Dr Frank Umbach and Dr Joachim Pfeiffer focuses on Germany’s and the EU’s Hydrogen Strategies.

About the Authors:

Dr Frank Umbach is Research Director of the European Centre for Climate, Energy and Resource Security (EUCERS), King‘s College, London; Adjunct Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at the Nanyan Technological University (NTU) in Singapore; Executive Advisor of Proventis Partners GmbH, Munich (a M&A company); Visiting Professor on EU and global energy (external) policies at the College of Europe in Natolin/Warsaw (Poland); Senior Lecturer at the University of Bonn & Consultant for governments, international organisation s (e.g. NATO), energy, consulting and investment companies (via Gerson Lehrman Group/GLG) on international energy security, policies and markets, geopolitical risks, cyber security and critical (energy) infrastructure protection/CEIP, as well as (maritime) security policies in Asia-Pacific. Consultancy projects for: German Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence Policies; European Commission and European Parliament, US-State and Energy Departments, U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (US-Congress), the Lithuanian Government, the House of Lords (British Parliament), the Polish Foreign and Economic Ministries, Hungarian Foreign Ministry, South Korean Foreign Ministry, NATO, OSCE, World Energy Council (WEC), UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Federation of the German Industries (BDI), the Singaporean government, Wikistrat.com, and national/international energy and consulting companies. Moreover: author of more than 500 publications in more than 30 countries worldwide; contract author of the Geopolitical Intelligence Service (GIS), Liechtenstein since 2011.

Dr Joachim Pfeiffer MP is the economic & energy policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. He was born in Mutlangen (Germany) and studied business economics with a technical orientation at the University of Stuttgart. He held a scholarship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation during his studies. His political career he began in 1990, whilst he was studying toward his doctorate. From 1992 to 1997 Dr. Pfeiffer was employed by the electric supply company Energie Versorgung Schwaben AG (EVS). Here he gained particular experience in mergers & acquisitions. Soon after obtaining his doctorate in 1997 he was the head of economic and employment promotion activities for Stuttgart, provincial capital of Baden-Württemberg. Since 2002 Dr Pfeiffer is a member of the German Parliament. In 2009 Dr Pfeiffer became the economic & energy policy spokesman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, a role he holds until today. He is also a lecturer at the Institute of energy economics & the rational use of energy at the University of Stuttgart, works as a freelance consultant and is chair of the CDU for the county of Rems-Murr.