Siemens Energy has been awarded a contract to supply a 280-MW electrolysis system by German utility, EWE. The plant in the German city of Emden is expected to go into operation in 2027 and will provide up to 26 000 tpy of green hydrogen for various industrial applications in the region. If this green hydrogen replaces fossil fuels, around 800 000 tpy of CO2 could be avoided in the steel industry, for example.
The electrolysis plant is part of EWE's large scale hydrogen project ‘Clean Hydrogen Coastline’, which consists of four sub-projects. The electrolyser represents the core of the Emden hydrogen production plant, which, including other necessary components such as compressors and cooling systems, has an average power consumption of 320 MW over its entire lifetime. In addition to supplying the electrolyser, EWE and Siemens Energy have agreed a 10-year service contract.
The German government and the European Commission had classified the project as a strategic funding measure, a so-called IPCEI project (Important Project of Common European Interest). The funding decision for this project was recently handed over to EWE at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. With the signing of the contract, EWE and Siemens Energy immediately gave the go-ahead for implementation.
“This project is an important element in the ramp-up of the green hydrogen industry in Germany,” said Anne-Laure de Chammard, Member of the Executive Board of Sie-mens Energy. “With the long-awaited funding commitments, the German government has placed the final piece of the puzzle to realise strategically important projects like this on a large scale. The immediate conclusion of the contract with EWE demonstrates that the industry is ready to swiftly implement these projects.”
“EWE is active along the entire value chain with its hydrogen projects, from production to transportation and storage. Our choice of location in north-west Germany and our decision to work with Siemens Energy means that we are focusing on both regional and national value creation,” commented EWE CEO Stefan Dohler. In a selection process that lasted 12 months, EWE had thoroughly examined 10 electrolysis manufacturers worldwide. “I am delighted that we are also working with Siemens Energy on hydrogen, as the company is already a long-standing partner for EWE in all aspects of our energy infrastructure.”
The electrolyser from Siemens Energy is based on PEM technology, which uses electricity to split water into its components hydrogen and oxygen along the proton exchange membrane. This technology is particularly suitable for operation with renewable energies due to the very flexible ramp-up times. The stacks – the heart of the electrolysers – are manufactured in the new gigawatt factory at Siemens Energy's Berlin site.
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