Enertrag plans to produce green hydrogen at German oil refinery - report

German renewables developer Enertrag is pressing ahead with a plan to build a hydrogen plant on the site of the PCK oil refinery in the town of Schwedt formerly owned by Russia's Rosneft.

As circumstances are forcing the company to act quickly, Enertrag has agreed with PCK to develop a concept for a plant for the production of green hydrogen in the first quarter of 2023, the company's owner Joerg Mueller said on Monday as cited by news agency dpa-AFX.

The green energy will be used to power the oil refinery and will be applied in mobility and industry such as steel production.

Schwedt's mayor Annekathrin Hoppe on Monday visited Enertrag, whose head office is located near Schwedt. The mayor described the transformation of the site as a "mammoth project" and expressed hope that Enertrag will be able to build part of the plant for hydrogen production on the PCK site within two years, creating alternative jobs.

In the summer, Enertrag expressed interest in PCK. A spokesperson for the company told business daily Handelsblatt that the renewables developer is in talks with the state government of Brandenburg to study whether the site could be converted into a "green" refinery and whether Enertrag could play a role in this process.

Another potential investor in the oil refinery is Leipzig-based Verbio which produces biofuels in Schwedt.

PCK in Schwedt is one of three Rosneft oil refineries that the German government took control of in mid-September to secure fuel supplies.

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