BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will invest more than 8 billion euros ($9.74 billion) to fund large-scale hydrogen projects, the Economy and Transport ministries said on Friday, in a step to scale up hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels to meet climate targets. The 62 German projects, supporting chemical, steel and transport industries, are part of a joint European hydrogen project called Hydrogen-IPCEI, the ministries added. “The fact is: we must and WANT to urgently promote the switch to climate-friendly mobility,” said Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer in a statement. Germany is trying to accelerate its shift to clean energy after a landmark ruling last month from the country’s top court pushing for more ambitious CO2 reduction targets. Green hydrogen is a zero-carbon fuel made by electrolysis, using renewable power from wind and solar to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. ($1 = 0.8210 euros) Reporting by Riham Alkousaa; Editing by Caroline Copley Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.