The first volumes of green hydrogen have been produced at German energy firm RWE’s 300MW project in Lingen during commissioning, marking a key milestone for what will become one of Europe’s largest green hydrogen plants.
UK electrolyser maker ITM Power said first volumes were produced by 100MW of the 200MW capacity it is supplying, with the hydrogen delivered to chemical firm Evonik’s facility in Marl via a 120km pipeline.
RWE’s GET H2 Nukleus project at a gas-fired power plant is installing 200MW of ITM PEM electrolysers, alongside 100MW of pressurised alkaline supplied by German manufacturer Sunfire.
“We are delighted to see our technology operating at unprecedented scale, helping power one of Europe’s first integrated hydrogen value chains,” said ITM CEO Dennis Schulz.
RWE Generation CEO Nikolaus Valerius, added, “We are now moving ahead quickly towards the full commissioning of our electrolysers. Over the coming months, we will prepare the plants for commercial operation.”
Backed by €619m ($712m) from the German federal government and the state of Lower Saxony, the project is due to bring 200MW online in 2026, followed by the remaining 100MW in 2027, to produce up to 49,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year.
Initially, the project will supply regional industries, including Evonik, through the 120km pipeline operated by transmission system operators Nowega, OGE, and Thyssengass. Hydrogen will also be supplied to RWE’s cavern storage facility in Gronau-Epe.
From 2030, RWE will begin supplying 30,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year to oil and gas firm TotalEnergies’ refinery in Leuna under a 15-year offtake agreement.
The project reached final investment decision in 2024 after RWE began operating a 14MW pilot plant made up of 10MW of Sunfire systems and 4MW of ITM technology.
