German utility RWE has begun the start-up process for what it says will be Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen facility, located in Lingen, western Germany, the company said on December 22, reports S&P Global.
The project includes a 100-megawatt hydrogen unit that forms the first stage of the larger 300-megawatt GET H2 Nukleus development. Hydrogen produced at the site will be supplied to TotalEnergies’ refinery in Leuna, eastern Germany.
An RWE spokesperson said work has begun to bring the first 100 megawatts of the Lingen hydrogen plant online. The company expects this initial phase to begin commercial operations in 2026.
Once operational, the Lingen facility will be the largest working renewable hydrogen plant in Europe, with nearly twice the capacity of the current biggest site. At present, the largest plant is BASF’s 54-megawatt hydrogen unit in Ludwigshafen, Germany, which began operations in March.
Several other hydrogen plants of around 100 megawatts are under construction across Europe. RWE plans to bring the full 300-megawatt capacity at Lingen into operation by 2027.
In March, RWE signed a long-term agreement with TotalEnergies to supply about 30,000 tonnes of green hydrogen each year to the Leuna refinery, starting in 2030. The hydrogen will be delivered through a 600-kilometre pipeline that is part of Germany’s national hydrogen network, which is currently being built.
At the refinery, the hydrogen will replace conventionally produced hydrogen made from fossil fuels, helping to lower emissions from fuel production.
To ensure steady supply during periods of low wind or sunlight, RWE plans to use storage capacity at the Gronau-Epe hydrogen storage site, which is expected to start operations in 2027. The company said the readiness of both the Lingen plant and the storage facility made it possible to secure a 15-year supply deal with TotalEnergies.
RWE said it moved early on the project by ordering key equipment and starting preparatory work even before government funding decisions were finalised.
The company ordered two 100-megawatt hydrogen units from Linde and ITM Power in 2022, along with a third 100-megawatt unit from German manufacturer Sunfire.
According to Platts, the cost of producing green hydrogen in Germany using renewable electricity agreements was estimated at €7.54 per kilogram, or about $8.86 per kilogram, as of December 19.
