BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 16. German energy giant RWE AG has announced that it has received funding exceeding 619 million euros from the German federal government and state governments to support the implementation of two large-scale hydrogen projects, Trend reports.
The funding will facilitate the construction of a 300-MW electrolyzer in Lingen, Lower Saxony, as part of the GET H2 Nukleus project, and a hydrogen facility in Gronau-Epe, North Rhine-Westphalia. Additionally, a third funding tranche has been granted to a consortium, which includes RWE, for developing a 100-MW electrolyzer at the port of Rostock in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania under the HyTechHafen Rostock project.
The federal government will cover 70% of the total funding for each project, with the remaining 30% provided by the respective state governments. RWE plans to invest a substantial amount in these three projects, recognized as Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) by the EU Commission in February, allowing for the allocation of national funds.
The funding notifications were presented in Berlin by Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, along with representatives from the federal states.
The Lingen site is a cornerstone of RWE’s hydrogen strategy, aiming to install 300 MW of hydrogen generating capacity in 100-MW increments by 2027, with the first electrolyzer expected to be operational by 2025. The green hydrogen produced in Lingen will help industrial companies significantly reduce their carbon emissions.
In Gronau-Epe, RWE Gas Storage West will develop a storage facility using two caverns to balance the fluctuations in hydrogen generation from wind and solar energy. This storage plant will supply hydrogen to industrial customers as needed, with the first hydrogen storage expected by 2026.
The HyTechHafen Rostock project will see the construction of a 100-MW electrolyzer at the port of Rostock, set to produce green hydrogen by 2027. This hydrogen will serve local consumers and feed into Germany's developing hydrogen core grid. The project is a joint venture involving ROSTOCK PORT GmbH, RheinEnergie AG, EnBW Neue Energien AG, and RWE Generation SE.