Get H2 Nukleus Govt Authorities Approve Development of Large Electrolyzer Plant in Germany

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RWE AG Holding

Glatt Ingenieurtechnik GmbH

CAC ENGINEERING GMBH

Pörner Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH

Government authorities have granted permission for the construction and operation of two 100 MW electrolyzers at the RWE gas-fired power plant site in Lingen, Germany. With this, the Get H2 Nukleus project aims to produce up to 35,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually.

Essen/Germany – The Get H2 Nukleus hydrogen project has passed an important milestone. The relevant authority in Oldenburg has granted permission for the construction and operation of the first two 100-Megawatt (MW) electrolyzers on the site of the RWE gas-fired power plant in Lingen to the operating company “Nukleus Green H2”, a subsidiary of RWE.

The 200-MW plant will be able to produce up to 35,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year. The hydrogen is intended to enable industrial companies to significantly reduce their carbon emissions. The electrolyzer project in Lingen is the first production plant for hydrogen in Germany of this size.

Seven months after the Oldenburg Trade Inspectorate confirmed the completeness of the submitted 2,250-page application document, it now issued the certificate of approval.

Sopna Sury, COO Hydrogen at RWE Generation: “The approval for our plant is the result of constructive and intensive work, not least on the part of the authorities involved, who never had to examine a hydrogen project of this size before. Seven months from submitting the complete application to approval is a reference value that gives rise to optimism for the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy in Germany.”

In Germany, approval on the basis of the Federal Emission Control Act is a prerequisite for such large-scale plants being built and operated. All relevant potential effects, e.g. emissions, must be examined thoroughly in the process. The 78-page approval document issued by the authority specifies exactly which technical, organizational and environmental requirements must be met during construction and operation.

The Lingen site plays a key part in RWE’s hydrogen strategy. There, the company wants to install hydrogen generating capacities of 300 megawatts in 100-megawatt increments by 2027 as part of the Get H2 project. At the end of 2023, RWE will already commission a 14-megawatt pilot plant in Lingen to test the use of two electrolyzer technologies (PEM and pressurized alkali) that are being considered for future hydrogen projects.

Get H2 Nukleus is among the large-scale hydrogen projects that were nominated in 2021 by the German Government and the federal states for funding under the “Important Projects of Common European Interest” (Ipcei) programme. However, as of yet, a binding commitment for funding has not been made. In January, the operating company nonetheless ordered the first two 100-megawatt electrolyzers to ensure that the planned commissioning dates can still be achieved should funding be granted.

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