Switzerland

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GH2 Country Portal – Switzerland

Green Hydrogen Vision

Switzerland envisions green hydrogen as a vital component of its transition to a climate-neutral and sustainable energy system by 2050. By producing hydrogen from renewable and CO₂-neutral sources, the country aims to decarbonise key sectors such as industry, transportation, and energy storage while enhancing energy security and resilience. Switzerland seeks to create a robust domestic hydrogen market, integrate with European hydrogen networks, and foster innovation to position itself as a leader in hydrogen technology and exports. Switzerland aspires to leverage green hydrogen as a cornerstone of its energy transition and global climate goals through international cooperation, research, and strategic investments.

National Strategy

Switzerland's 2024 hydrogen strategy outlines the role of hydrogen as a key energy carrier in achieving the country's climate neutrality goals by 2050. The strategy emphasises the production and use of hydrogen from renewable and CO₂-neutral sources (green hydrogen), with a focus on integrating hydrogen into industrial processes, transportation, and energy storage systems. The Swiss government prioritises creating a domestic hydrogen market while ensuring integration with European hydrogen infrastructure, promoting innovation, and fostering international cooperation to strengthen its position in the global energy transition. 

Capacity Targets

  • By 2035, Switzerland plans to meet its hydrogen demand through domestic production co-located with renewable electricity generation facilities or directly at large consumption sites.
  • The strategy does not set specific quantitative capacity targets for electrolyser deployment or hydrogen production but stresses the need to align infrastructure development with growing demand.

Impact Targets

  • Decarbonisation: Substitution of fossil fuels with green hydrogen in sectors such as high-temperature industrial processes, aviation, and heavy transport.
  • Energy Security: Enhance energy resilience by using hydrogen for seasonal storage and integrating it with renewable energy systems.
  • Economic Development: Promote hydrogen technology research and development to establish Switzerland as a hub for innovation and export in hydrogen technologies.

Policy and Project Spotlight

  1. Gruyère Energie has launched a hydrogen subsidiary, Gruyère Hydrogen Power (GHP), in Bulle, Fribourg, and plans to produce green hydrogen for industrial use, mobility, and energy storage. Liebherr will be among GHP's first customers, receiving 1,500 kg of hydrogen weekly via a 100-meter pipeline. Liebherr also acquired a 25% stake in GHP and aims to mass-produce hydrogen-powered engines by 2027. The production site’s proximity to electricity, drinking water, and heating networks allows for efficient use of waste heat from the electrolysis process. Gruyère Energie supports Switzerland's Energy Strategy 2050, promoting renewable energy growth.
  2. In December 2024, Axpo and H2Uri's partners held a groundbreaking ceremony for a green hydrogen production plant in Bürglen, Switzerland. This will be Axpo's second such plant. Starting in 2026, this 2 MW facility will provide hydrogen for the first hydrogen passenger vessel on Lake Lucerne and other uses. Partners Schätzle AG, EWA-Energie Uri, and SGV Holding AG (Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Vierwaldstättersee) joined the ceremony at the future plant site next to the EWA-Energie Uri hydropower plant, which will supply green electricity for hydrogen production. The plant aims for an annual output of 260 tonnes of green hydrogen, reducing diesel use by over one million litres.

Financing

  • Public-Private Partnerships: Collaboration between the government and industry is critical for financing hydrogen projects.
  • EU Funding Programmes: Swiss entities are encouraged to participate in EU initiatives like Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) and Projects of Common Interest (PCI).
  • Domestic Support: Measures include tax incentives, grants for pilot projects, and financial support for innovative hydrogen technologies. Specific allocations from the federal budget for these initiatives are also planned.

Government Green Hydrogen Lead

The Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) under the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) leads the hydrogen strategy.