Munich (dpa / lby) - At meetings with three of his counterparts, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) wants to explore ways to improve the energy supply in Bavaria over the next few days and weeks. "The future of energy supply lies in close partnerships - especially across borders," emphasized Söder in advance.
The start will be made next Monday with a meeting with Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) in Neu-Ulm and Ulm. Among other things, both politicians want to visit a hydrogen factory in Ulm. The next day, Söder will visit the site for the future liquid gas terminal in Lubmin together with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD). In the second week of September he wants to meet with Hesse's new Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) in Alzenau on the Bavarian-Hesse border.
"Supplying the south with hydrogen, but also with gas, is of crucial importance for the whole of Germany," emphasized Söder again. Together with Kretschmann he wants to fight for a southern rail with hydrogen. "We want to create a southern alliance for hydrogen," said Söder. The south must be connected to the European hydrogen network by 2030 at the latest. Cooperation in research should also be strengthened.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with its planned liquid gas terminal in Lubmin, is crucial for the gas supply in the south and east. Together with Minister-President Schwesig, he wants to consider how a Bavarian contribution could be possible in order to complete the construction and the approval process for the terminal as quickly as possible. "Here, Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will work more closely together," said Söder.
He wants to talk to Rhein in September about networking with the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main metropolitan region. Frankfurt and the Bavarian town of Aschaffenburg are just over half an hour's drive apart.
