RWE, the German energy company, plans to invest 30 million euros in a hydrogen electrolysis test facility at its gas power plant in Lingen, Lower Saxony.

According to RWE, a pilot plant with a capacity of 14 megawatts would be built in Lingen using green power. Construction will begin in June. From mid-2023, the facility will create “green” hydrogen.

Two distinct manufacturing procedures are being investigated. Up to 290 kilos of hydrogen per hour will be produced. “The hydrogen produced will either be sent into a public hydrogen network or blended with the gas turbine fuel at the power plant,” an RWE spokeswoman stated.

In Germany’s energy transition, hydrogen generated in a climate-neutral manner will play a key role. Hydrogen that is “green” is thought to be necessary for achieving climate goals. Hydrogen is created by electrolysis using electricity from renewable sources, which can meet the energy needs of the steel sector, for example. Green power as a source of energy is now limited and rather expensive.

The state of Lower Saxony is contributing eight million euros to the test facility’s development. On Tuesday, SPD Environment Minister Olaf Lies handed out the financing decision.

In RWE’s hydrogen plan, the Lingen facility plays a critical role. RWE plans to construct a 100-megawatt electrolysis facility there by 2024 as part of the GET H2 project, which involves a number of enterprises. By 2026, another 200 megawatts will be installed.

“An entire electrolyzer park that can and should be created here,” Lies said. RWE runs a nuclear power station in Lingen, which is close by. The business plans to build a total of 2000 megawatts of electrolysis capacity for climate-neutral hydrogen generation by 2030.