RWE has inaugurated a 14MW pilot electrolyser plant in Lingen, Germany, graced by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck, Lower Saxony’s Minister President Stephan Weil, and Lower Saxony’s Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection.
The facility, part of RWE’s Emsland gas-fired power plant, generates up to 270kg of green hydrogen per hour using renewable electricity. It incorporates two electrolysis technologies and is set to offer critical insights for future industrial-scale hydrogen ventures. Located nearby, a commercial electrolyser project under the GET H2 Nukleus initiative will soon follow, with capacities reaching 100MW by 2025 and 300MW by 2027.
According to RWE AG’s CEO, Markus Krebber, expanding green hydrogen production is essential for supporting industrial decarbonization. “Our teams are pioneering innovative technologies to support the hydrogen economy, which involves core grids, import strategies, domestic production, and storage facilities. We are turning our vision into reality,” he remarked.
The pilot electrolyser received €8 million from the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection. Additionally, nearly €490 million in federal and state funding has been allocated for the 300MW electrolyser under the GET H2 Nukleus project.
The pilot plant includes a 10MW alkaline electrolyser from Sunfire and a 4MW PEM electrolyser by Linde in collaboration with ITM Power. Initially, the green hydrogen will supplement the gas turbine fuel at the power plant. By mid-2025, a hydrogen filling station and a trailer filling facility will become operational, allowing hydrogen-powered vehicles to refuel at the site.
RWE, alongside its partners, seeks to establish the first public-access hydrogen infrastructure through the GET H2 initiative. The project will connect Lingen’s green hydrogen production to consumers in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia via a 130km grid extending to Gelsenkirchen. This pioneering grid aims to offer transparent pricing and non-discriminatory access, thereby accelerating the hydrogen economy and assisting companies in meeting climate objectives.
