Final contract agreed for German green hydrogen energy park
Final contract agreed for German green hydrogen energy park | Windpower Monthly
The Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park is a real-world laboratory for production, storage, transport, marketing and use of green hydrogen, testing the entire value chain of green hydrogen on an industrial scale.
A 30MW electrolysis system from Sunfire produces green hydrogen using renewable electricity from the nearby wind farm. Stored temporarily in a salt cavern specially designed for this purpose, the green hydrogen can be fed into the hydrogen network of the chemical industry based in Central Germany via a converted gas pipeline.
The wind farm is due to be completed in the first half of this year while the electrolyser, which is being constructed in parallel, is due for completion by 2025.
Transport contract
The contract covers transport of green hydrogen between Elektrolyse Mitteldeutschland – a joint venture between Uniper and VNG Handel & Vertrieb – and German gas network operator Ontras Gastransport.
It enables green hydrogen - produced in an electrolyser powered by wind - to be transported from Bad Lauchstädt to a refinery in Leuna via a converted gas pipeline.
A supply agreement for the gas has been agreed between the partners and TotalEnergies Raffinerie Mitteldeutschland.
Sebastian Pflüger, managing director of Elektrolyse Mitteldeutschland, said: “For the upcoming delivery of green hydrogen to the TotalEnergies refinery in Leuna, we have succeeded in contractually linking production and offtake with the necessary transport capacity. This is groundbreaking and an important milestone for the success of the energy transition.”
Ontras managing director Ralph Bahke said: “The conclusion of both contracts demonstrates the confidence of the companies involved in the success of the market ramp-up for hydrogen.”
Click here to subscribe to the green hydrogen bulletin to receive fortnightly dedicated news, analysis and comment straight to your inbox.
To submit a news, comment, case study or analysis idea for the green hydrogen bulletin, contact the editorial team.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: hydrogen
Hydrogen, long seen as a theoretical if not practical alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels, is once again having a day in the sun as industries promote “green hydrogen,” produced using renewable resources.