New York, 23 August 2022 (dpa/MIA) - Eyeing the energy crises that have broken out in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz used a visit to Canada on Monday to stress the importance of strong cooperation with the North American country in the energy sector. "Canada will play a very, very central role in the development of green hydrogen," Scholz said after meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Montreal. "That's why we're very happy that we can also take this opportunity to expand our partnership in this field." Green hydrogen refers to the process of distilling hydrogen as a fuel with the use of renewable energy, meaning the creation of an emissions-free fuel without any emissions-based fuel used in the process. That compares to other methods of extracting hydrogen that rely on less climate-friendly fuels. Germany has staked a fair amount of its emissions-free fuel future on a switch to hydrogen. However, Scholz also stated that natural gas will still be needed during a transitional period to reduce dependence on Russian gas supplies. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is forcing Germany to consider its fuel options, particularly in the energy sector. Although Canada has liquefied natural gas (LNG), Germany could not depend on it for long because pipelines and terminals are still lacking for transport across the Atlantic. The focus of the chancellor's trip was therefore on hydrogen production. Germany is interested in Canadian minerals and metals. Trudeau stated the export of LNG across the Atlantic will be explored. One of the challenges is the required investment in infrastructure. "We are looking at every possible different way to help out the German people and Europeans in the short term as they face a real challenge this coming winter," said Trudeau. Canada must not allow Russia to use energy as a weapon of war, he stated.