RWE, a German utility, has partnered with Linde, a German industrial gas and engineering company, to provide permission planning for two 100-MW electolyzer facilities in Lingen, Lower Saxony.

RWE plans to build 300 MW of electrolysis capacity at Lingen by 2026 as part of the larger GET H2 European hydrogen infrastructure project. Lingen’s total electrolyzer capacity might be increased to 2 GW by 2030, according to the German utility.

“The planned new plant would initially consist of two 100 MW Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, which will be fueled by North Sea offshore wind power to create green hydrogen,” RWE added.

It stated the first 100 MW electrolyzer would go online in 2024 and the second in early 2025, assuming public funding was approved under the EU’s Important Projects of Common European Interest process.

According to RWE, permit planning was part of the pre-project development phase, with following engineering, procurement, and construction phases requiring governmental help from the Federal Republic of Germany.

According to S&P Global Platts, the cost of manufacturing renewable hydrogen by PEM electrolysis was Eur25.60/kg on December 17, whereas the cost of producing blue hydrogen via steam methane reforming (including carbon, CCS, and capex) was Eur8.75/kg (both Netherlands).