How RWE Is Building Germany’s First Public Hydrogen Grid at Lingen Site

RWE is advancing its GET H2 Nukleus project by constructing a 300 MW electrolyser facility at its Lingen gas-fired power plant in Germany. This initiative focuses on producing green hydrogen. In 2022, RWE ordered two 100 MW electrolysers from Linde Engineering and ITM Power, a PEM electrolyser manufacturer. Recently, RWE enlisted Sunfire and Bilfinger to build the third 100 MW electrolyser, utilizing Sunfire’s pressurised alkaline technology with ten 10 MW modules. The contract, valued in the low hundreds of millions of euros, was signed shortly after RWE finalized its investment decision, supported by funding from the German federal government and Lower Saxony.

Lingen in Lower Saxony’s Emsland region is rapidly gaining importance for RWE and the European energy transition.

The first 100 MW electrolyser is slated for commissioning in 2025, with the full 300 MW capacity operational by 2027. This project aims to establish Germany’s first publicly accessible hydrogen infrastructure. RWE is partnering with gas grid operators Nowega and OGE to link the Lingen facility to industrial users in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. The 130 km grid from Lingen to Gelsenkirchen will operate as a regulated hydrogen network, ensuring transparent pricing and equal access, fostering the growth of the hydrogen economy and aiding companies in meeting climate goals.

Dr. Sopna Sury, COO Hydrogen at RWE Generation SE, stated: “Hydrogen infrastructure construction progress on the Lingen site is sending out a strong signal to companies that are planning to switch their processes to green hydrogen.” She highlighted that, alongside pipeline and storage developments by GET H2 partners, RWE will soon supply green hydrogen efficiently and systematically.

A 14 MW pilot electrolyser, operational at Lingen, produces up to 270 kg of hydrogen hourly. It includes a 10 MW pressurised alkaline system from Sunfire and a 4 MW PEM electrolyser from ITM Power, built by Linde. Initially, this hydrogen supplements fuel for the plant’s unit D gas turbine during testing. From mid-2025, it will also support hydrogen-powered vehicles via a new filling station and trailer facility under construction. By 2027, hydrogen from the 300 MW facility will feed into a storage cavern in Gronau-Epe, managed by RWE Gas Storage West, ensuring flexible supply to industrial clients.

Additionally, a 250 kW high-temperature solid oxide electrolyser (SOEC) from Sunfire has been active since 2023 under the TransHyDE project. This explores hydrogen transport within public gas networks, feeding into onsite pipelines. RWE collaborates with partners like Adlares, Evonik Operations, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology to advance this effort.

The GET H2 Nukleus project underscores RWE’s commitment to sustainable energy, enhancing hydrogen availability for industrial and mobility sectors while aligning with environmental objectives.