Aftermath of the H2 subsidy scandal sees Werner Diwald step down as DWV boss

This is according to a report in the German business magazine Capital. Association head Werner Diwald was and is one of the much-mentioned players in the so-called ‘hydrogen affair’ surrounding Klaus Bonhoff, who was dismissed in 2024 and was previously head of the Department for Policy Issues at the Ministry of Transport. In the course of the political investigation into the affair, the German Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) dismissed Klaus Bonhoff in February 2024 and transferred Adam Mutwil, Head of Division G 25 (Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in Mobility) to the Railway Division. The hydrogen unit was then dissolved in May 2024.

The background to this was the awarding of funding totalling around 1.5 million euros for the HyMobility innovation cluster to Werner Diwald’s German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV). The money was intended to support a communication platform for hydrogen mobility. Klaus Bonhoff, who headed the National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW) for many years and was appointed to the ministry under Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU), is regarded in the industry as an advocate of this very technology.

As head of the department, Klaus Bonhoff is said to have campaigned for the funding at the end of 2021 and for the funding decision to be issued as soon as possible. A juicy fact: the application was submitted by DWV boss Werner Diwald – a personal friend of Klaus Bonhoff. They have known each other for years, both professionally and privately. Emails between the two, which became publicized in Der Spiegel, show how the head of the department, who was committed to neutrality, lobbied for the authorisation at the department level.

This suspected influence has cast doubt on the allocation of further hydrogen subsidies. The BMDV therefore initiated an internal investigation, the results of which were presented by the Ministry at the end of September. According to the report, “factual indications of a breach of official duties” were found. This concerned two employees of the ministry, who were not named. Wissing’s office initiated disciplinary proceedings against both of them. In addition, a total of three funding cases are being reviewed to determine whether the decisions must be cancelled and the money repaid.

But not only in the ministry, something is also happening at the association level: as Capital reports, Werner Diwald will step down as head of the DWV at the end of the year. He has held this position for ten years. According to a decision by the DWV Executive Committee, Diwald’s successor will be Friederike Lassen, who has been in charge of policy and regulation at the association to date. In addition to Lassen, the association also intends to appoint another board member so that the DWV’s business will be managed by a dual leadership team in future. However, the co-CEO has not yet been appointed.

In addition, Capital reports that DWV President Oliver Weinmann is also suspending his office for the time being. According to the business magazine, Weinmann’s name also appears in connection with the questionable events in the transport department: “Like Diwald, the founder of a consultancy firm maintained close private contacts with the head of the department and was part of the holiday group. When asked, the association did not want to comment on the personal details,” the report states.

capital.de (in German)