(Friedeburg-Etzel / Germany) – The transport of two large components from Rotterdam via Wilhelmshaven to Etzel for the “H2Cast” above-ground facility has been completed. There, the cavern operator Storag Etzel GmbH has converted two existing salt caverns for hydrogen storage in a pilot project.
Transport: Heavy equipment was required for the large components. © Storag Etzel GmbH / Gasunie
“This journey was not only a logistical highlight,” but also a symbolic milestone, according to the company. With the arrival of these components, “important building blocks for the above-ground hydrogen purification plant are now ready for final assembly on site.” Commissioning is scheduled for spring 2026. Storag Etzel and the Dutch state-owned gas company Gasunie NV intend to investigate the safe and energy-optimized storage of hydrogen in two salt caverns under real-world operating conditions. Modular systems will dry, purify, and compress the energy carrier using various processes. The quality will be continuously monitored and balanced. Following commissioning, an intensive testing phase will take place, the results of which are expected towards the end of 2026.
Construction: The basic components of the above-ground hydrogen purification plant are assembled on site. Commissioning is scheduled for spring 2026. © Storag Etzel GmbH / Gasunie
H2Cast forms an important foundation for the future hydrogen economy and is an initiative of energy companies from Germany and the Netherlands, led by Gasunie and Storag Etzel. In May 2025, the filling of the caverns with around 90 tons of hydrogen – approximately 300.000 cubic meters – began. This hydrogen was produced by Plug Power in Werlte, located 90 kilometers south of the storage facility.
Construction of the above-ground facilities is now underway. The cavern storage facility is strategically located with connections to the German-Dutch hydrogen market and in the immediate vicinity of Germany's only deep-water port in Wilhelmshaven, which has H2-capable pipeline connections. Funding is provided by the state of Lower Saxony and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi).
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Arrived: Components for the above-ground facilities have been delivered from Rotterdam. © Storag Etzel GmbH / Gasunie
