Axpo breaks ground of green hydrogen project

Axpo and partners Schätzle AG, EWA-Energie Uri, and SGV Holding AG (Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Vierwaldstättersee) broke ground on the site of a new hydrogen production plant to be constructed by H2Uri, a company in which all four partners are shareholders. The plant will be located adjacent to the EWA-Energie Uri hydropower plant in Bürglen, which will supply it with green electricity for the production of hydrogen. Annual production of up to 260 t of green hydrogen is planned, saving the use of more than 1 million l of diesel.

Axpo Head of Power Plants and Green Gases Guy Bühler, said: “Having already gained valuable experience with our green H2 plant in Domat/Ems, this project in Bürglen is a continuation of our strategy to play our part in the development of the hydrogen economy in Switzerland.”

Hydrogen vessel on Lake Lucerne

The new plant’s green hydrogen will be used, among other things, to power the passenger vessel ‘Saphir’ on Lake Lucerne. SGV Managing Director Stefan Schulthess, stated: “By converting the vessel to a hydrogen fuel cell system, we can significantly reduce our CO₂ emissions. Plans for this are already well advanced.”

H2Uri shareholder Schätzle AG, which operates an Avia hydrogen refuelling station in central Switzerland, will also purchase green hydrogen produced by the plant. Axpo and its partners aim to have the new facility up and running as early as 2025.

Shaping the hydrogen economy

The inclusion of hydrogen in the energy mix will help strengthen Switzerland’s security of supply. Axpo is also driving forward its decarbonisation efforts with other investments in hydrogen projects, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Axpo’s head of hydrogen Guy Bühler, continued: “There are still many challenges in the hydrogen market, so I don’t expect progress to be continual. But nevertheless, I remain convinced that decarbonisation cannot be achieved through electrification alone. Hydrogen will be part of the solution.”

Axpo continues to participate in various hydrogen related events to share experience and ideas. The company also relies on appropriate national and international partnerships to further develop its own projects along the hydrogen value chain, cooperating with decision-makers and thought leaders in the field.

Project in Wildegg-Brugg on track

The ambition of Axpo's hydrogen team can also be seen in the planned green hydrogen production plant at Wildegg-Brugg in the Swiss canton of Aargau. After an initial delay in obtaining a building permit, construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2025.

Axpo’s Bühler, added: “While this plant is being built, we’re planning to supply our partner Voegtlin-Meyer’s nearby H2 refuelling station with green hydrogen from Axpo’s production facilities in Domat/Ems and, when it comes onstream, Bürglen.”

The Wildegg-Brugg project aims to contribute to the sustainable supply of green hydrogen for transportation and industrial uses in the surrounding region. Its hydrogen will also fuel Voegtlin-Meyer buses operated on behalf of Switzerland’s PostAuto AG network.

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global's Winter 2024 issue

Don’t miss out on our last issue of the year! The Winter issue of Energy Global is out now; this issue kicks off with a guest comment from Veronica Maxted, Director of Renewables at RS Group before moving on to a regional report on the current state of the renewables industry in North America. This edition of the magazine also explores key topics such as inspection and maintenance, solar optimisation, energy storage technology, geothermal drilling and operations, and much more. With contributions from key industry leaders such as Viridien, Hexagon, DNV Energy Systems, and Halliburton, among others, dive into the issue and see what you could learn.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/other-renewables/18122024/axpo-breaks-ground-of-green-hydrogen-project/