A joint venture including RWE and EnBW has unveiled plans for a 100MW green hydrogen plant at the port of Rostock on the north-east coast of Germany.
The electrolysis plant will be at the heart of the ‘HyTech Hafen Rostock project, which has applied for funding as part of the Important Project of Common European Interest programme.
A final investment decision has not yet been made and will only be planned once the funding decision has been received.
The system is to be developed and built by the Rostock EnergyPort Cooperation, a joint venture between EnBW Neue Energien, RheinEnergie, RWE Generation and Rostock Port.
The four partners each hold almost 25% of the new company.
The aim is to set up and expand a sustainable and green production and distribution structure for hydrogen.
The electricity required for this is to be obtained from renewable energies, such as wind turbines at sea and on land.
Up to 6.5 tonnes of hydrogen are to be produced and fed into a supra-regional distribution network and made available to local consumers.
The location enables the plant to be expanded to an output of up to 1GW.
The investments are in the three-digit million range and are to be made with the help of subsidies, the partners said.
RheinEnergie chief executive Dieter Steinkamp said: “Together with the companies involved, RheinEnergie is driving forward the targeted transformation of the Rostock power plant location from hard coal to green hydrogen.
“In this way we create a perspective, not only for the location itself, but for the entire region.
“In the future, we will make the required quantities of green hydrogen available to all market participants as part of the newly founded company.”
EnBW Neue Energien managing director Rainer Allmannsdorfer said: “We see the realization of such a project and subsequent further expansion as a great opportunity to transform a coal-fired power plant site into a sustainable energy site in the long term. We are also securing local jobs.”
Rostock Port managing director Jens Scharner said: “The successful transformation from fossil fuels such as coal to non-fossil fuels such as hydrogen affects many parts of the port.
“A consistent start in the development of a hydrogen economy in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will replace fossil fuels and lead to the decarbonisation of the region.
“As a partner of the joint venture, we would like to continue to provide impetus for a climate-friendly and sustainable port economy.”
RWE Generation chief operating officer hydrogen Sopna Sury said: “The overseas port of Rostock is an ideal starting point for a hydrogen hub in north-eastern Germany.
“As part of the new consortium, RWE, as a global leader in renewable energies and with its expertise in hydrogen production, is making a significant contribution to the green transformation of the site and the region.”