Germany's wet and windswept north has long lacked the economic appeal of the industrial south but the green transition and an energy crisis sparked by war in Ukraine is shifting the balance.
It is shifting the compass on Germany's traditional tussle between the wealthy West and poorer, post-Communist East.
Also in Lower Saxony, Belgium's Tree Energy Solutions is planning to build a plant to produce hydrogen, initially making it from methane generated from food and other waste, and later splitting water via electrolysis powered by offshore wind. "After decades of dominance by first the west then the south, now the north is getting going," said IW's Hanno Kempermann.
Bavarian premier Markus Soeder, whose state is home to some of Germany's industrial leaders, has repeatedly said the federal government was not doing enough to protect Bavaria's economy and has called for Germany's last three nuclear power stations be kept running to ensure industry does not suffer.The government had aimed to close its last power plants by end of 2022 but adjusted the plan to keep two of them running into the spring. It still aims to exit nuclear power after that.