Hamburg Green Hydrogen Hub project moves forward

The dismantling of the Moorburg power plant site in Hamburg, Germany, is progressing rapidly, according to the Port of Hamburg, creating a space for the construction of a green hydrogen hub.

As disclosed, the chimneys of the flue gas desulphurization plant (FGD) were demolished, marking a milestone in the dismantling, which has been in full swing since October 2023 and is the responsibility of Energie Hub Moorburg. To note, Hamburger Energiewerke acquired the Moorburg power plant in March 2023.

The site dismantling will make room for a 100 MW electrolyzer and the connection to the hydrogen network, Port of Hamburg said, adding that with the blasting of the chimneys, the work has largely been completed.

Reportedly, parts of the existing infrastructure and systems can be used for hydrogen production in the future. For example, the existing connection to the high-voltage grid, through which the electrolyzer will be supplied with electricity from renewable energies in the future, will be converted and relocated.

The Hamburg Green Hydrogen Hub (HGHH) project plans to start building the electrolysis plant for green hydrogen as early as next year, 2025. This is intended to contribute to the decarbonization of the port and industry.

Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economic Affairs and Innovation, commented: “We are in the midst of transforming ourselves into a climate-friendly economy and industry. We will not be able to do without a reliable and affordable energy supply in the future, and we do not want to give up being an industrial location in the future either. That is why we are ensuring the availability of hydrogen as an energy source with an import strategy and local production. Hydrogen will be produced here locally in the future, and the scaling up of production is already planned. Today brings us another step closer to this goal.”

Jens Kerstan, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Hamburger Energiewerke and Senator for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture, remarked: “I would like to thank everyone involved who is responsible for this milestone, and I am particularly pleased that we are so well on schedule and that Hamburg’s hydrogen location is continuing to take shape. Despite the current politically difficult situation, we will make Hamburg an important hydrogen center nationwide and throughout Europe and continue to work consistently to achieve our climate goals.”

Christian Heine, Spokesman for the management of Hamburger Energiewerke, stated: “We have made great progress this year in building a green hydrogen infrastructure in Hamburg: In the summer, the HGHH project received national funding and was able to order the 100 MW electrolyzer from Siemens Energy. At the same time, our subsidiary has made good progress with the dismantling of the former power plant at the Moorburg site, so that construction of the electrolyzer can start in the middle of next year.”

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