German energy company RWE has produced its first volumes of green hydrogen during the commissioning of its 300 MW Lingen project, marking a major milestone for what is set to become one of Europe’s largest green hydrogen production facilities, gasworld reported.
UK-based electrolyser manufacturer ITM Power said the initial hydrogen was produced using 100 MW of the 200 MW proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser capacity it is supplying for the project. The hydrogen has been delivered through a 120-km pipeline to chemical company Evonik’s facility in Marl.
The GET H2 Nukleus project, located at RWE’s gas-fired power plant in Lingen, combines 200 MW of PEM electrolysers supplied by ITM Power with 100 MW of pressurised alkaline electrolysers from German manufacturer Sunfire.
ITM Power Chief Executive Dennis Schulz said the project demonstrates the company’s technology operating at an unprecedented scale and supports the development of one of Europe’s first integrated hydrogen value chains.
RWE said it will continue commissioning activities over the coming months before the plant enters commercial operation.
Supported by €619 million ($712 million) in funding from the German federal government and the state of Lower Saxony, the project will bring 200 MW of electrolyser capacity online in 2026, with the remaining 100 MW scheduled for completion in 2027.
Once fully operational, the facility is expected to produce up to 49,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually.
Initially, the hydrogen will be supplied to regional industrial customers, including Evonik, through a 120-km hydrogen pipeline operated by transmission system operators Nowega, OGE and Thyssengass. Part of the production will also be stored at RWE’s underground hydrogen storage facility in Gronau-Epe.
From 2030, RWE will supply 30,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually to TotalEnergies’ refinery in Leuna under a 15-year supply agreement.
The project reached a final investment decision in 2024 after RWE successfully operated a 14 MW pilot plant comprising electrolysers supplied by Sunfire and ITM Power.
