Germany unveils a comprehensive tender strategy for up to 12.5 GW of hydrogen-compatible gas-fired power plants, signalling a pivotal move to transition from natural gas to green hydrogen and secure a resilient, low-carbon power system.
Germany has moved from word to blueprint in its bid to anchor a renewables-dominant power system with dispatchable, low‑carbon backup. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) has launched an EU‑approved tender strategy for up to about 12–12.5 GW of “hydrogen‑ready” gas‑fired power plants, together with long‑duration storage, signalling an explicit pathway from gas today to green hydrogen tomorrow for industry and system operators.
The tender package, cleared by the European Commission in mid‑2024, is designed to secure fast‑starting capacity to smooth the intermittency of wind and solar during prolonged low‑output periods. According to the tender documents and reporting, the scheme could move to auction as early as late 2024 or in early 2025, and is intended to bring the new capacity into service by 2031 to qualify for support. Under the plan, support will cover investment costs and a portion of the fuel‑cost gap for roughly 800 full‑load hours per year, creating a revenue bridge while hydrogen supply chains scale up.
A staged, technology‑focused rollout
The programme is structured in phases. In the initial phase the government intends to tender about 5 GW of new hydrogen‑ready gas plants and roughly 2 GW of modernisations to retrofit existing units to hydrogen capability, alongside 500 MW reserved for pure hydrogen turbines and 500 MW for long‑duration storage. Subsequent rounds would deliver the remaining capacity to approach the 12–12.5 GW target. The plants are expected to sit largely in Germany’s “grid south” to reduce redispatch needs and strengthen regional reliability.
The ministry frames these assets as bridging infrastructure: they will operate on natural gas initially but must be convertible to run on green hydrogen over time. Berlin has attached firm conversion milestones to the support, and operators that meet retrofit timelines will be prioritised for additional incentives. The tender therefore targets not just generation capacity but a credible route to offtake that can underpin investment in electrolyser capacity and hydrogen logistics.
Timing and regulatory divergence
There are, however, differences in the way timing and end‑dates have been described across industry and media coverage. The BMWK’s approved plan sets a latest conversion deadline in the mid‑2040s, while some reporting indicates conversion commitments or phased targets earlier in the 2035–2043 window, with a definitive switch date to be clarified in follow‑on regulatory steps. The ministry has also signalled a separate, tech‑neutral capacity market due to start by 2028 where these plants may later compete on reliability and cost.
Industry moves and project pipelines
Major utilities and plant builders are already positioning. RWE has publicly advanced plans for hydrogen‑ready combined‑cycle gas turbine projects at multiple German sites, contingent on hydrogen grid connections and a stable regulatory framework. EnBW has progressed conversions at former coal sites, commissioning smaller hydrogen‑capable gas turbine units and signalling how brownfield repowering can deliver dispatchable capacity while preserving district heat and local system services. According to industry reporting, turbine manufacturers and electrolyser vendors are adjusting product roadmaps to accommodate higher hydrogen blends and full conversion.
Economic and industrial implications
For energy‑intensive sectors the tender offers more than short‑term security: it creates demand signals for green molecules that could anchor industrial offtake and reduce offtaker risk for large electrolyser projects. Industry associations have urged rapid implementation, arguing that clear auction timetables and contract terms are needed so project developers, electrolyser manufacturers and grid operators can coordinate capex and infrastructure build‑out.
Risks, scrutiny and policy trade‑offs
The policy is not without controversy. Environmental groups caution that an extended reliance on natural gas, even in hydrogen‑capable assets, risks a fossil‑fuel lock‑in if green hydrogen supply and price improvements lag. Policymakers are trying to mitigate that by tying subsidies to conversion milestones and capping the hours of subsidised gas operation. Nevertheless, if electrolyser roll‑out, renewable power for electrolysis and hydrogen transport infrastructure fall behind, plants could run on methane longer than intended, undermining emission reduction goals.
There are also broader market risks: strike prices from the tenders and the resulting costs passed to consumers will be closely watched, as will the interaction between the tender supports and the planned capacity market. The volume and timing of tenders will influence the scale of electrolyser orders, hydrogen pipeline investment and the market price trajectory for green hydrogen.
A template for other markets
Berlin’s approach is being watched across Europe. The tender seeks to combine short‑term security with long‑term decarbonisation signals, and the European Commission’s approval provides a precedent for state support tied to credible transition requirements. If the German programme succeeds in delivering retrofitable, bankable offtake and accelerates electrolyser deployment at scale, it could serve as a model for balancing grid resilience and industrial decarbonisation elsewhere.
What to watch next
Key indicators for industrial stakeholders will include the timing and volumes in the first auctions, the strike prices secured, the specific retrofit and conversion deadlines set in final contract terms, and early offtake deals that link electrolysers to these generating assets. Equally important will be progress on hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure and the degree to which the nascent hydrogen market can deliver cost reductions quickly enough to meet the conversion schedule without a prolonged reliance on natural gas.
- https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/germanys-tender-for-hydrogen-ready-gas-plants-aims-to-scale-hydrogen-production/8574493/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/german-govt-hold-first-tender-h2-ready-gas-plants-early-2025 – Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) plans to hold the first round of tenders for hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants by the end of 2024 or early 2025. The government aims to tender 12.5 gigawatts (GW) of power plant capacity and 500 megawatts (MW) of long-term storage. The plants are to be built primarily in Germany’s ‘grid south’ to reduce re-dispatch costs and contribute to grid stability. The tendering process will be held in two separate auction rounds, with the first focusing on 5 GW of new hydrogen-ready gas power plants and 2 GW of hydrogen-ready ‘modernisations’.
- https://www.rwe.com/en/press/rwe-generation/2024/2024-05-29-rwe-plans-hydrogen-ready-combined-cycle-gas-turbine-at-gersteinwerk-in-werne – RWE plans to build hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants at its sites in Germany to contribute to the successful phase-out of coal by 2030. Following Weisweiler in the Rhenish mining area, the company is now advancing plans for a plant at a possible second site in Werne in the southern Münsterland region. An H2-ready combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant with a nominal capacity of around 800 megawatts may be built at the Gersteinwerk power plant. The approval planning for the plant will begin immediately, with the final investment decision contingent upon securing a hydrogen grid connection and a viable regulatory framework.
- https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/020524-germany-to-tender-10-gw-gas-fired-capacity-plans-capacity-market-by-2028 – Germany plans to tender support for 10 GW of gas-fired power plant capacity and establish a capacity market by 2028, according to the energy ministry. The strategy includes four tenders for 2.5 GW hydrogen-ready gas plants in the short term. The new plants will have to convert to hydrogen between 2035 and 2040, with the exact date to be determined in 2032. This approach aims to balance the need for reliable power supply with the transition to cleaner energy sources.
- https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/germany-agrees-tender-125-gw-hydrogen-ready-gas-projects.html – The German Federal Government has agreed to tender 12.5 GW of gas-fired plants that can switch to hydrogen, as part of the power plant strategy included in the country’s economic growth package. In the first phase, 5 GW of hydrogen-ready gas-fired plants, 2 GW for retrofitting old gas-fired power plants to use hydrogen, 500 MW of hydrogen-fired plants, and 500 MW of long-term storage will be put out for tender. The tenders, which should begin by late 2024 or early 2025, will offer subsidies covering investment costs and the difference in operating costs between hydrogen and natural gas for 800 full-load hours per year.
- https://www.h2-view.com/story/berlin-and-brussels-agree-on-12gw-gas-power-plan-with-hydrogen-switch-by-2045/2136661.article/ – Germany and the European Commission have agreed in principle to the country’s plans to tender 12 GW worth of new gas-fired power plants, which could switch to hydrogen by 2045. Under Berlin’s power plant strategy, 12 GW of new dispatchable capacity will be tendered in 2026, with 10 GW required to operate continuously over extended periods to ensure security of supply. The plants are expected to enter service by 2031, with additional tenders planned for 2027 and 2029/2030. However, all plants built under the scheme will have to be ‘hydrogen capable’ and ‘fully decarbonised’ by 2045 at the latest.
- https://www.h2-tech.com/news/2025/04-2025/enbw-commissions-one-of-germany-s-first-h2-ready-gas-turbine-power-plants/ – EnBW is converting the previously coal-fired sites in Altbach/Deizisau and Heilbronn to hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants. This initiative is part of EnBW’s efforts to decarbonise its power plant portfolio, involving a total capacity of 1.5 gigawatts and an investment of approximately €1.6 billion. The Stuttgart-Münster site has been comprehensively modernised with the construction of a new gas turbine plant that has a gross capacity of two times 62 megawatts, including waste heat boilers and hot water boilers. The combined heat and power (CHP) plant serves both base load and peak load supply, contributing to the district heating network in the central River Neckar region.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
6
Notes:
The article was published on January 20, 2026, reporting on Germany’s recent tender for hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants. The Clean Energy Wire article from May 2024 discusses the government’s plan to hold tenders for hydrogen-ready gas plants by early 2025. ([cleanenergywire.org](https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/german-govt-hold-first-tender-h2-ready-gas-plants-early-2025?utm_source=openai)) The S&P Global article from February 2024 mentions Germany’s plan to tender 10 GW of gas-fired capacity and establish a capacity market by 2028. ([spglobal.com](https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/020524-germany-to-tender-10-gw-gas-fired-capacity-plans-capacity-market-by-2028?utm_source=openai)) The RWE press release from May 2024 details RWE’s plans for a hydrogen-ready combined-cycle gas turbine at Gersteinwerk in Werne. ([rwe.com](https://www.rwe.com/en/press/rwe-generation/2024-05-29-rwe-plans-hydrogen-ready-combined-cycle-gas-turbine-at-gersteinwerk-in-werne/?utm_source=openai)) The Hydrogen Fuel News article from July 2025 reports on Enertrag’s advancement of a 130 MW green hydrogen production hub in Brandenburg. ([hydrogenfuelnews.com](https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/enertrag-advances-130-mw-green-hydrogen-production-hub-in-brandenburg/8572155/?utm_source=openai)) The S&P Global article from March 2024 discusses Stahl-Holding-Saar’s launch of a green hydrogen tender for Saarland steel plants. ([spglobal.com](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/energy-transition/032724-germanys-shs-launches-green-hydrogen-tender-for-saarland-steel-plants?utm_source=openai)) The H2-View News article from July 2024 reports on Germany’s hydrogen power plant tenders to be launched by early 2025. ([h2eg.com](https://h2eg.com/h2-view-news-german-hydrogen-power-plant-tenders-to-be-launched-by-early-2025/?utm_source=openai)) The IEA policy document from 2024 outlines tenders for hydrogen-ready gas power plants in Germany. ([iea.org](https://www.iea.org/policies/27765-tenders-for-hydrogen-ready-gas-power-plants?utm_source=openai)) The S&P Global article from June 2024 discusses delays in Germany’s plans for new gas plant tenders. ([spglobal.com](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/060724-german-plans-for-new-gas-plant-tenders-slip-into-2025-as-details-remain-unclear?utm_source=openai)) The H2-View article from January 2026 reports on Berlin and Brussels agreeing on a 12 GW gas power plan with a hydrogen switch by 2045. ([h2-view.com](https://www.h2-view.com/story/berlin-and-brussels-agree-on-12gw-gas-power-plan-with-hydrogen-switch-by-2045/2136661.article/?utm_source=openai)) The Hydrogen Fuel News article from January 2026 reports on Germany’s tender for hydrogen-ready gas plants aiming to scale hydrogen production. The S&P Global article from February 2024 mentions Germany’s plan to tender 10 GW of gas-fired capacity and establish a capacity market by 2028. ([spglobal.com](https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/020524-germany-to-tender-10-gw-gas-fired-capacity-plans-capacity-market-by-2028?utm_source=openai)) The RWE press release from May 2024 details RWE’s plans for a hydrogen-ready combined-cycle gas turbine at Gersteinwerk in Werne. ([rwe.com](https://www.rwe.com/en/press/rwe-generation/2024-05-29-rwe-plans-hydrogen-ready-combined-cycle-gas-turbine-at-gersteinwerk-in-werne/?utm_source=openai)) The Hydrogen Fuel News article from July 2025 reports on Enertrag’s advancement of a 130 MW green hydrogen production hub in Brandenburg. ([hydrogenfuelnews.com](https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/enertrag-advances-130-mw-green-hydrogen-production-hub-in-brandenburg/8572155/?utm_source=openai)) The S&P Global article from March 2024 discusses Stahl-Holding-Saar’s launch of a green hydrogen tender for Saarland steel plants. ([spglobal.com](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/energy-transition/032724-germanys-shs-launches-green-hydrogen-tender-for-saarland-steel-plants?utm_source=openai)) The H2-View News article from July 2024 reports on Germany’s hydrogen power plant tenders to be launched by early 2025. ([h2eg.com](https://h2eg.com/h2-view-news-german-hydrogen-power-plant-tenders-to-be-launched-by-early-2025/?utm_source=openai)) The IEA policy document from 2024 outlines tenders for hydrogen-ready gas power plants in Germany. ([iea.org](https://www.iea.org/policies/27765-tenders-for-hydrogen-ready-gas-power-plants?utm_source=openai)) The S&P Global article from June 2024 discusses delays in Germany’s plans for new gas plant tenders. ([spglobal.com](https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/060724-german-plans-for-new-gas-plant-tenders-slip-into-2025-as-details-remain-unclear?utm_source=openai)) The H2-View article from January 2026 reports on Berlin and Brussels agreeing on a 12 GW gas power plan with a hydrogen switch by 2045. ([h2-view.com](https://www.h2-view.com/story/berlin-and-brussels-agree-on-12gw-gas-power-plan-with-hydrogen-switch-by-2045/2136661.article/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
5
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes from RWE’s CEO Nikolaus Valerius regarding the hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plant at Gersteinwerk. However, these quotes cannot be independently verified through the provided sources. The RWE press release from May 2024 contains similar statements, but without direct access to the original press release, the accuracy of these quotes cannot be confirmed. ([rwe.com](https://www.rwe.com/en/press/rwe-generation/2024-05-29-rwe-plans-hydrogen-ready-combined-cycle-gas-turbine-at-gersteinwerk-in-werne/?utm_source=openai))
Source reliability
Score:
4
Notes:
The article originates from Hydrogen Fuel News, a niche publication focusing on hydrogen-related news. While it provides detailed information, the lack of independent verification and the niche nature of the source raise concerns about reliability. The Clean Energy Wire and S&P Global articles offer more established perspectives on Germany’s hydrogen-ready gas plant plans. ([cleanenergywire.org](https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/german-govt-hold-first-tender-h2-ready-gas-plants-early-2025?utm_source=openai))
Plausability check
Score:
6
Notes:
The article’s claims align with Germany’s known energy transition goals and recent developments in hydrogen energy. However, the reliance on a single, niche source without independent verification introduces uncertainty. The S&P Global article from February 2024 mentions Germany’s plan to tender 10 GW of gas-fired capacity and establish a capacity market by 2028, which supports the plausibility of the article’s claims. ([spglobal.com](https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/020524-germany-to-tender-10-gw-gas-fired-capacity-plans-capacity-market-by-2028?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article reports on Germany’s tender for hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants, aligning with known energy transition goals. However, it relies on a single, niche source without independent verification, and the quotes cannot be independently confirmed. While the content is plausible and accessible, the lack of independent verification and reliance on a niche source raise concerns about its reliability. Therefore, the overall assessment is a FAIL with MEDIUM confidence.
