The energy group RWE is pushing ahead with the development of its hydrogen business and intends to award the first major order for the project site in Lingen in autumn.

"We want to award the contract for the construction of the electrolyser this year. That could be around November," said the head of the hydrogen division of RWE Generation, Sopna Sury, in an interview published on Friday by the Reuters news agency. The electrolyser is the heart of the plant, which uses green electricity to produce hydrogen, which can be used in a climate-friendly manner for chemical processes or steel production, for example. "We are currently holding intensive talks with a number of manufacturers," explains the 46-year-old, who has been responsible for the hydrogen business on the RWE Generation board since February. "We are planning to commission the electrolyser in 2024. With an output of 100 megawatts, this would be one of the first industrially scalable projects in Europe." The capacity is to be increased to 300 megawatts by 2026. RWE intends to present more details on its hydrogen strategy at a Capital Markets Day in mid-November. According to industry experts, the price of an electrolyser is around one million euros per megawatt. RWE is part of the GET H2 project, which wants to build a hydrogen infrastructure for energy , industry, transport and heating from Lingen in Emsland . The project partners include the chemical company Evonik , the network operators Thyssengas, Nowega and OGE, the energy company BP and the steel company Salzgitter.

LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT IN LINGEN - INDUSTRY JOINS STRENGTHS

"GET H2 is one of our flagship projects," emphasizes Sury. It is one of the most developed projects in this area in Germany. The big advantage lies in the fact that part of the necessary infrastructure for the transport is already in place - a gas network of 130 kilometers that can be converted to hydrogen. From 2026 there will also be a connection to the Netherlands. This means that hydrogen can be obtained from the Netherlands. Imports via the port of Rotterdam are also possible. "With the OGE and Thyssengas pipelines, we have pipelines as far as Duisburg and thus reach potential customers in the Ruhr area. This is important, given that Germany will be dependent on imports for up to 80 percent of hydrogen." The transport is the biggest cost factor, explains the manager, who also worked for the management consultancy McKinsey and the energy company E.ON. RWE is involved in around 30 projects in Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain. Hydrogen is considered to be the key to the energy transition and the achievement of the EU's climate protection goals. The federal government wants to promote the development of the hydrogen business with sums of money. Many companies want to get something from the cake. This also includes the steel boiler Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, which will be the first plant for a CO2 in Duisburg in 2024-free steelmaking wants to start up. With its subsidiary Thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers (TKUC), which builds electrolysers, the group is considering getting a financially strong strategic partner on board. RWE does not want to participate. "We are involved in the planning and development, in the production of the green electricity and the marketing of the hydrogen," says Sury. They are also competent in questions of storage. "We have no plan to invest in electrolyser manufacturers, but we want to work in partnership with them." The supplier, which used to rely heavily on nuclear and coal-fired electricity, has turned into one of the largest green electricity operators in Europe with investments of billions. "For RWE, the hydrogen business should be an essential component in the long term, together with renewable energies," explains Sury. The prerequisite is that the framework conditions are right. There must be uniform regulation for the networks used for hydrogen and the current networks. In addition, existing renewable systems that are no longer subsidized must be allowed to provide green electricity for hydrogen. "We invest where the framework conditions are best." Source: Boerse-online

Interview: RWE Wants to Build Up Hydrogen as a Pillar Alongside Green Electricity