The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia has informed INEOS in Cologne that the feasibility study for the construction of a 100-megawatt water electrolysis plant for the production of green hydrogen at THE INEOS site in Cologne/Dormagen will be funded with around 770,000 euros from state funds. As part of the ChemCH2project, INEOS is planning to build and operate the new plant. The investment is part of the INEOS Group’s €2 billion package for green hydrogen projects.
The study will investigate later this year to what extent the plant for the production of green hydrogen can be implemented in the Verbund site. With this funding, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia will cover a quarter of the eligible costs for carrying out the study. “Water electrolysis for the production of green hydrogen is an important component of our ambitious sustainability agenda with the goal of net zero. The funding decision shows the great importance that the state of NRW attaches to our project. We are very happy about that!” said Dr Stephan Müller, Energy Commercial Manager at INEOS in Cologne.
The hydrogen produced in the new plant using renewable energy will be used directly in the ammonia plant operated by INEOS in Cologne and will be used in the future to produce methanol. In addition, the demand for climate-neutral hydrogen in the Chempark and beyond can be met, e.g. in regional mobility. Overall, the project can lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of over 100,000 tons per year.
Due to the versatile hydrogen application areas – also in the logistics and transport sector – this project also enables many points of contact in the immediate vicinity of the Chempark. It is a lighthouse project for the chemical industry of North Rhine-Westphalia. This will make a significant contribution to the implementation of the European and national hydrogen strategy and serves in particular to achieve the climate targets set in the hydrogen roadmap of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart, acting Minister of Economic Affairs and Innovation of North Rhine-Westphalia until 29 June 2022, comments: “The project is an important step on the way to a climate-neutral chemical industry in North Rhine-Westphalia. North Rhine-Westphalia will become a model location for innovative value chains and the project shows how important hydrogen is in this respect. In the future, the project can supply not only the Chempark, but also the logistics with green hydrogen. We need exactly such holistic projects in order to be successful in the transformation.”
The feasibility study is funded within the framework of the “Programme for Rational Use of Energy, Renewable Energies and Energy Saving” (progres.nrw). This is where the state of North Rhine-Westphalia bundles the majority of its funding activities in the field of climate and energy policy. In the “Innovation” programme area, NRW supports application-oriented research, development and innovation projects as well as feasibility studies that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and thus to the achievement of North Rhine-Westphalia’s climate protection goals.
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