BERLIN (AP-

 A senior German official said

that she hopes her country will receive hydrogen made with renewable energy from Australia by 2030.

The two countries have stepped up plans for cooperation on clean energy as Germany tries to find replacements for Russian gas supplies while pursuing an ambitious policy of reducing its emissions to “net zero” by 2045.

So-called green hydrogen is seen as a key fuel to power industrial processes that require high temperatures, such as steel-making.

Germany’s science minister, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, said Australia has strong potential to produce hydrogen with the help of abundant solar and wind power.

“My goal is for the first delivery to really reach Germany by 2030 at the latest,” she said after a meeting in Berlin with Australian Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.