(Ludwigshafen) - The chemical company BASF has received a financing commitment for its planned hydrogen production at the Ludwigshafen site. According to the information, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and the state of Rhineland-Palatinate are providing up to 104,3 million euros for the project called “Hy4Chem-EI”.
The stacks, as core elements of hydrogen production, are currently being built in Siemens Energy's new production facility in Berlin. © Siemens Energy
In collaboration with Siemens Energy, work on the water electrolysis facility in Ludwigshafen is now entering the next construction phase. With an output of 54 megawatts and a capacity of up to 8.000 tons of hydrogen per year, the PEM electrolyzer will be “one of the largest of its kind in Germany”. Powered by electricity from renewable energy sources, the system will reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the site by up to 72.000 tons per year. BASF wants to use the energy source primarily as a raw material for its products. In addition, the green hydrogen produced serves the mobility sector in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region. The start of operations is scheduled for 2025.
Reduce carbon footprint
In Ludwigshafen, the company consumes around 250.000 tons of hydrogen per year, which is produced through steam reforming or occurs as coupling products and by-products. However, steam reforming, the current conventional production process, produces high CO2 emissions. Changing the technology for producing hydrogen and using this hydrogen as a raw material for chemical products should significantly reduce BASF's carbon footprint.
The state government is supporting the local hydrogen economy with a total of 184 million euros. “We are concentrating on expanding both the infrastructure for hydrogen imports and for local production,” said Malu Dreyer, Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, when handing over the funding decision. “For this reason, the Hy4Chem project is a milestone in boosting the hydrogen economy in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany and Europe – and in decarbonizing entire industries.”
Class schedule
Illustration of the planned electrolysis at the BASF site in Ludwigshafen. © Siemens Energy
