The Heart of Networking: Forum Overview 2025
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Financing & Law Forum
In November 2025, the 36th session of the Financing & Law Forum spotlighted the topic “Profitability of large-scale battery storage systems”. As part of the event, speakers from the German Energy Storage Systems Association (BVES), Luxcara and CFP-Flexpower reported on the current framework conditions and marketing strategies for large-scale battery storage projects.
Sector Coupling Forum
The topic “Real applications of AI in the energy industry” kicked off the year at the Sector Coupling Forum in January. The event included topics from the fields of innovation management, generative AI, AI-based site identification, machine learning in electricity forecasting, and digital twins of the city.
Sector Coupling Forum Session (EEHH GmbH)
In the second forum this year, the “Impact of dynamic grid charges” was considered.
Solar Forum
The EEHH cluster held three events in 2025 as part of the Solar Forum. In a digital session in January 2025, attorney Dirk Legler from the Rechtsanwälte Günther law firm presented the ECJ’s decision on the customer system.
In May 2025, there was an excursion to an agrivoltaic system at Steinicke GmbH in Lüchow.
The working group on public buildings met in June. Representatives of HGV, HKE and BUKEA reported to the participants on progress being made and established processes for PV expansion on public buildings.
In November 2025, an event was held on the topic “Carport PV for Hamburg”, focusing on the various challenges and their solution concepts for carport PV systems.
Heat Forum
At the 26th meeting of the Heat Forum in April 2025, the focus was on the various and innovative possibilities for using heat pumps efficiently and in a future-oriented way even in larger existing buildings. During this meeting, the topic of special heat pump solutions in existing buildings with four to 100 residential units was discussed.
Heat Forum Session (EEHH GmbH)
In May, EEHH organised a field trip to southern Denmark in cooperation with the Royal Danish Consulate General in Hamburg and the Danish Board of District Heating. As Denmark is a European pioneer in the heating transition, the trip centred on the desire to learn from our neighbouring country.
In September, the 27th Heat Forum looked at the use of waste heat from data centres. The topic was considered from a variety of perspectives in four fascinating lectures: from the potential of low-calorific process heat to the local use of waste heat for an algae farm.
In a webinar in October, the most important implications of the new law to accelerate the expansion of geothermal plants, heat pumps and heat storage systems were discussed.
Wind Forum
In addition to the combined session of the Hydrogen & Wind Forums described below, the speakers from GWEC, Luxcara and the Offshore Wind Foundation, in combination with the International Forum, provided a “view of global wind market development and what this means for the German wind industry”. At this meeting, they shed light on the developments being made in international wind markets and the current discussion on the use of Chinese-made wind turbines in Europe.
Wind Forum Session (EEHH GmbH)
Battery Meet-Up (from 2026: Battery & Storage Technologies Forum)
Intelligent sensor technology in batteries, a battery innovation park in the Hamburg metropolitan region and a potential analysis of the regional battery industry – these were the topics of the second EEHH Battery Meet-Up.
Following two successful events in Hamburg, 25 battery enthusiasts were drawn to Brunsbüttel and Itzehoe in the autumn to take a look at the battery economy in practice. They were given an insight into various value creation steps at four stations: from production to operation to recycling.[e
Hydrogen Forum
The Hydrogen Forum met seven times in 2025, twice in combination with other forums of the EEHH cluster.
The first was a joint forum on wind and hydrogen in January, which focused on the possibilities of offshore hydrogen production directly in the offshore wind farm at sea in comparison with offshore power generation and onshore electrolysis.
In March, EEHH and en2x hosted a joint forum on the topic “Methanol – the hidden champion”. Methanol can, for example, be an alternative to fossil fuels in shipping, but also in aviation – and unlike ammonia, it is non-toxic, meaning it is less dangerous to humans. However, a biogenic CO2 molecule is required for a climate-neutral fuel.
The June forum with DLR and with the support of ZAL offered lectures as well as guided tours of the research institutions’ fuel cell laboratories. Summary: In many applications, such as in the field of coastal shipping or industrial trucks, fuel cells can already be used seamlessly today. Research and development regarding use in commercial aircraft or oceangoing vessels is still needed, however.
The forum discussed “Electricity or hydrogen – or both?” in July. Hamburg’s energy networks presented their plans for the expansion of the electricity and hydrogen networks and addressed heat pumps as a new electricity consumer. A study by the HSU looked at future consumption in mobility by all modes of transport on a district-by-district basis. Tesa presented its plans for future climate neutrality. Summary: The company will use both electricity and hydrogen to defossilise its processes. The discussion made it clear that energy requirements and grid capacities must be considered together in the future if climate neutrality in trade and industry is to be achieved.
The topic of costs was the focus in October. In addition to energy trading, the speakers also explained new ideas, such as Hydrogen as a Service, which provide new financing models for electrolysers and reduce the cost of the hydrogen produced.
The Hydrogen Forum was also “on tour” in 2025. On the agenda: the hereon with its microgrid, a joint project with HYDAC.
Hydrogen Forum Session (EEHH GmbH)
A joint forum on international affairs and hydrogen rounded off the year. The focus here was on the import routes of hydrogen from production abroad to transshipment in the port and into the hinterland to the consumers.
