(Bochum/Essen/Lingen) – The hydrogen consortium “GET H2 Nukleus” has submitted an application for funding from the “EU Innovation Fund”. The association wants to use a “mid double-digit million euro amount” from the fund to create a nationwide, publicly accessible hydrogen network.
100 megawatt electrolysis planned
To achieve this, RWE Generation is planning a 100-megawatt electrolysis plant to produce green hydrogen. This will reach the BP refinery in Gelsenkirchen through existing pipelines, where it will save 105.000 tons of CO2 per year. For the application, the possibilities for using green hydrogen in the refinery were analyzed as part of a technical study. According to the companies, the basic feasibility was confirmed.
130 kilometer long hydrogen network
In March, the oil multinational BP Europa SE, the chemical group Evonik Industries AG, the long-distance network operators Nowega GmbH and OGE GmbH and the electricity company RWE Generation SE signed a declaration of intent for the development of a hydrogen network from Lingen to Gelsenkirchen as part of their joint initiative “GET H2 Nukleus”. . The planned network, with a length of around 130 kilometers, connects producers of green hydrogen with industrial customers in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. An electrolyzer is expected to be operational by the end of 2022.
Most of the hydrogen is transported to industrial customers such as refineries and chemical parks in Lingen, Marl and Gelsenkirchen via existing gas pipelines from Nowega and OGE, which are being converted to transport 100 percent hydrogen. As with electricity and gas networks, access should be open to every producer, trader or consumer. This makes it possible to quickly integrate further hydrogen projects.
Hydrogen is already being transported in pipeline networks in Europe. So far, however, these have been private industrial networks with no access for third parties.
Photos
The graphic shows how a hydrogen economy works according to the idea of “GETH2”. / © BP Germany
