Germany (Lübben / Brandenburg)
Regional Hydrogen Implementation under HyStarter II

The HyStarter II programme, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, supports 15 German regions in designing and implementing hydrogen roadmaps. Northwestern Brandenburg is one of the selected regions, supported by its Regional Development Agency and local municipalities.

Skilled workforce: Workforce development is integrated from the start. Technical colleges in Brandenburg and Fraunhofer institutes offer apprenticeship programmes in hydrogen safety, electrolyser maintenance, and fuel cell systems. Companies in logistics and energy sectors host traineeships, ensuring immediate skills transfer into practical hydrogen projects. Local high schools have also introduced awareness modules to spark early interest in hydrogen careers.

Effective coordination: Implementation is facilitated by a regional hydrogen roundtable, convened by the Regional Development Agency NW Brandenburg. Participants include municipalities, utilities, logistics companies, and civil society. The roundtable allows stakeholders to align project schedules — for example, ensuring that hydrogen buses for logistics are delivered only after the refuelling station construction is complete. Coordination also helps identify synergies, such as combining public and private fleets to share infrastructure.

Monitoring and reporting: Each HyStarter region must produce biannual reports to the federal government. These reports track KPIs such as hydrogen production capacity, infrastructure deployment, CO₂ emissions saved, and jobs created. Deviations from targets trigger corrective measures, such as adjusting funding mechanisms or rescheduling project phases. For instance, delays in renewable electricity expansion led to an adjusted timeline for electrolyser commissioning, ensuring more realistic planning.