RWE kicks off green hydrogen production at pilot plant in Lingen

German energy company RWE has started green hydrogen production at its 14 MW pilot electrolyzer plant in Lingen, Germany.

The facility can generate up to 270 kilograms of green hydrogen per hour using electricity from renewable sources. It features two different electrolysis technologies: an alkaline electrolyzer from Sunfire and a PEM electrolyzer from ITM Power, installed by Linde Engineering.

The pilot plant is to provide valuable insights for developing future industrial-scale hydrogen facilities, RWE claimed, adding that the first large commercial electrolyzer plant is already being built only meters away. As part of the GET H2 Nukleus project, a 100 MW electrolyzer is expected to be commissioned there by 2025, with its capacity to be expanded to 300 MW by 2027.

The Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection provided €8 million in funding for this commissioned pilot electrolyzer.

Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE, commented: “Lingen is one of the most exciting locations of the German energy transition. In addition to operating our flexible gas-fired power plant and our state-of-the-art large-scale battery system, we are now also producing green hydrogen here.”

“Over the coming years, we will expand our production capacities for green hydrogen at this site further to supply industrial consumers with green molecules and thus support them in their decarbonisation efforts… The hydrogen economy is extremely complex. With the core grid, an import strategy, domestic hydrogen production, and hydrogen storage facilities we have a target picture of the future. We can see a part of this vision becoming reality here and now.”

Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, stated: “By supporting hydrogen along the entire value chain, we are taking an important step towards a climate-neutral and sustainable economy in Germany… I am convinced that electrolysers like this one here in Lingen will make an important contribution towards a successful energy transition. The green hydrogen generated in the electrolysers here will be a key component for the decarbonisation of industry and the energy sector in Germany.”

To note, together with partners, RWE is part of the GET H2 initiative aimed at building the first hydrogen infrastructure in Germany that is accessible to the public. The initiative wants to contribute towards accelerating the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy and help companies in the industrial and mobility sectors reach their climate targets.

RWE ordered two 100 MW PEM electrolyzers from Linde Engineering for the GET H2 hydrogen project at the beginning of 2023. At the time, it was revealed that the plants would be powered by offshore wind from the North Sea.

In July 2024, German federal and state governments granted €818 million in funding to RWE’s large hydrogen projects, with €619 million being provided for the construction of the 300 MW electrolyzer to generate green hydrogen in Lingen.

The European Commission recognized the projects as Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) in February 2024. As per RWE, this made it possible for the national bodies to grant the funding.