Commissioning work has begun on a 30MW green hydrogen plant near Leipzig, Germany, ahead of the site making pipeline deliveries to a TotalEnergies refinery.
The Energiepark Bad Lauchstädt project will produce up to 4,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, with almost three-quarters of the volume being transported through a converted 25km pipeline to TotalEnergies’ complex in Leuna.
Developed by German energy firm Uniper, renewables company Terawatt, gas trader VNG, pipeline operator Ontras, and research institute DBI, the project was due to begin hydrogen production in Q2 this year.
No specific timeline for commercial operations has been confirmed. Energiepark Bad Lauchstädt said the commissioning phase focused on further system tests brings “the first production of green hydrogen within reach.”
The project is seen as an early lighthouse development, having reached its €210m ($245m) final investment decision in 2023 before the EU had even defined its renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) criteria.
Ontras commissioned the 25km pipeline that will carry hydrogen produced by the 30MW Sunfire electrolyser to Leuna in April 2025 after converting it from natural gas. Electrolyser stacks have been under installation since October last year.
Earlier this month, the project was certified as RFNBO-compliant, enabling its hydrogen to count towards EU renewable fuel targets, including those introduced under the Renewable Energy Directive III.
In a later phase, the project could add on-site salt cavern storage, while its pipeline infrastructure is also expected to connect with Germany’s developing hydrogen core network.
