German energy service provider EWE is planning to build a 320-MW electrolysis plant on the North Sea coast in northwest Germany to produce 1 TWh of green hydrogen annually.
The plan for the project was presented by EWE's chief executive Stefan Dohler at a press conference.
The energy company has picked a site in the seaport city of Emden, Lower Saxony, for the green hydrogen facility. The region has potential to become a production centre and an import hub for green hydrogen thanks to its location on the sea coast, the availability of a port, a well-developed gas network, large storage caverns and the enormous potential for renewable energy.
The site for the hydrogen production plant was selected in the immediate vicinity of key power lines and a substation owned by transmission system operator TenneT.
The realisation of the project worth almost EUR 500 million (USD 493.6m) depends on funding approval by the European Commission which is currently reviewing EWE's application. Depending on the decision, construction of the plant could begin as early as 2023, with the first green hydrogen to be produced in 2026. The carbon-free fuel will be used in industry and mobility.
The federal and state funding as well as the EU approval under state aid law would enable EWE to take further planning steps.
The green energy from the plant will save about 400,000 tonnes of coal in the steel industry and thus one million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, commented Geert Tjarks, head of Hydrogen Business Development at EWE. In addition to the positive impact on climate, wind farms would have to be shut down less when there is too much wind and the energy from the turbines could be used where needed, Tjarks added.
(EUR 1 = USD 0.987)
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