Werner Ponikwar, CEO of Thyssenkrupp Nucera, calls in a guest commentary for more commitment to electrolysis technologies. Diversified energy imports are insufficient to reduce dependency. Electrolysis links renewable electricity to industrial value creation and produces hydrogen as a storable energy carrier.
In a guest commentary in Handelsblatt, Werner Ponikwar, CEO of Thyssenkrupp Nucera, warns of Europe's ongoing dependence on energy imports. This dependency threatens economic stability, prosperity, and ability to act. He cites the war in Iran, the de-facto blockade of the Strait of Hormus, and sharply rising prices as examples of Europe's vulnerability. Russia's 2022 attack on Ukraine already demonstrated the costs of such dependencies; the European economy is still recovering. Europe has hardly any domestic fossil energy resources, making the dependency a structural reality. Ponikwar advocates for new industrial capabilities and domestic energy sources. Resilience cannot be achieved solely through diversified import regions. Electrolysis is key: it connects electricity from renewables to industrial value creation, produces hydrogen as a storable and usable energy carrier, and strengthens energy independence permanently. A cost-efficient, resilient energy system cannot be built without electrolysis. Politics is currently braking this new market.
