Renewable

May 4 (Renewables Now) - RWE AG (ETR:RWE) has received a funding commitment from the state of Lower Saxony to build a 14-MW pilot electrolysis plant in Lingen that is meant to pave the way for the power group's goal to have a 300-MW electrolyser facility at the site by 2026.

The approval for the funding of EUR 8 million (USD 8.44m) was granted by Lower Saxony's energy minister Olaf Lies, RWE said on Tuesday. The energy group will invest a total of EUR 30 million in the project.

As part of the pilot project, two electrolysis technologies will be tested at the site in Lingen to gain operational experience with their industrial use. A 10-MW pressure-alkaline electrolyser from Dresden-based manufacturer Sunfire GmbH will be installed this year and industrial gases and engineering company Linde (NYSE:LIN) will set up a 4-MW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser at the site.

RWE has already applied for approval for the pilot plant and expects to begin construction work on the project in June. Once operational in the spring of 2023, the electrolysis plant should be capable of generating up to 290 kg of green hydrogen per hour. The facility will operate in trial mode for a period of three years, with an option for another year.

The hydrogen will be fed into a public hydrogen network, blended with the fuel for gas turbines at RWE's Emsland power plant or used to supply the hydrogen-capable gas turbine that RWE and Kawasaki plan to build at the site by 2024.

At the Lingen location, RWE is planning to set up its first 100 MW electrolyser facility by 2024 and then raise its capacity to 300 MW by 2026. With the initiative known as GET H2, the Essen-based energy group and its partners seek to support the construction of a national hydrogen infrastructure and the development of a powerful European hydrogen market.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.056)

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