The German Government on September 28, 2016 approved the second National Innovation Program for 2016 – 2026. The program indicates a budget of  €250 mln for FCH and battery application developments of which 165 mln for further research and development in the FCH domain till 2019. For more info click here (in German).

Dr. Klaus Bonhoff, Managing Director (Chair) of NOW: “The government programme builds on the successes of the first phase of the NIP (2007-16). In the NIP the degree of technological maturity of, for example, fuel cell vehicles or fuel cell heating devices significantly evolved both technically and economically and a modern branch of industry with around 500 companies and organisations was established. The areas of activity defined in the government programme for the continuation of the NIP provide the framework for the market ramp up that has already begun.”
The implementation of the NIP is carried out through the relevant actions of the participating federal ministries. The BMVI is spending initially 250 million euro by 2019 to support hydrogen and fuel cell technology: the funding guideline for “Measures for research, development and innovation” published on 29.9.2016.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is continuing its support of hydrogen and fuel cell technology in the area of applied research and development within the 6th Energy Research Programme with around 25 million euro annually. In addition the BMWi set up a Funding programme for the purchase of fuel cell heating devices for private customers in August 2016 within the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (NAPE).