(Cologne, Germany) – Shell Deutschland GmbH is building a 100-megawatt electrolyzer based on polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) technology at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland. Using renewable electricity, the plant will produce up to 44.000 kilograms of green hydrogen daily. It is scheduled to go into operation in 2027.
Investment decision for Refhyne 2
The company gave the green light for this project, called "Refhyne 2," last week. "Our investment decision shows what can be achieved with the right framework to realize competitive projects," says Huibert Vigeveno, Director of Downstream, Renewables and Energy Solutions at Shell. The investment amount was not disclosed.
The renewable hydrogen produced at the Chemicals Park will be used on site to produce energy products such as fuels. If customer demand develops, the energy carrier could also be supplied to interested parties in the longer term to reduce industrial emissions in the region. Shell expects that once Refhyne 2 is operational, the hydrogen produced there will meet the requirements for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) under current EU legislation.
Planning has been underway since 2021
Shell had already commissioned a 10-megawatt PEM electrolyzer in the Rhineland as part of the Refhyne 1 project in 2021. According to the company, preparations for the new project have since been underway, including "detailed technical plans, all necessary earthworks, and the connection to the existing infrastructure."
Project partners are ITM Power (Trading) Ltd, ITM Power Germany GmbH, the industrial gas supplier Linde GmbH, the Spanish research center Tecnalia Research and Innovation, the plastics manufacturer ETM International GmbH, the Norwegian research institute Sintef AS and the Belgium-based oil conglomerate Concawe.
In the Netherlands, Shell is currently building a hydrogen production plant with a capacity of 200 megawatts called “Holland Hydrogen I”.
Photo above
As part of the project called “Refhyne 2”, Shell plans to install an electrolyzer with a capacity of 100 megawatts in its Energy and Chemicals Park Rhineland. © Ingérop Deutschland GmbH/Codema
