Siemens to build major green hydrogen plant in Germany
WUN H2 project will have a capacity of 8.75MW and will produce up to 1,350tons of hydrogen power per year using only renewable energy
Siemens has marked the start of construction of one of the largest green hydrogen plants in Germany with the official ground-breaking ceremony for the project in Wunsiedel, Germany, it has announced.
In a statement, the energy solutions provider said the plant will have a capacity of 8.75MW, and that it will produce up to 1,350 tons of hydrogen per year using only renewable energy (solar or wind power). It added that the use of the generated hydrogen in transportation and industry will allow for CO2 savings of up to 13,500 tons annually.
German Minister of Economic Affairs, Hubert Aiwanger said: “The WUN H2 project is an important contribution to implementing Bavaria’s hydrogen strategy. Green hydrogen ‘Made in Bavaria’ demonstrates domestic technological expertise and increases acceptance through local value creation.”
Siemens Smart Infrastructure will be the general contractor for the entire plant, with Siemens Financial Services (SFS) participating in the equity financing as well as holding a share of 45% in the operating company WUN H2 GmbH. The electrolyzer will be supplied by Siemens Energy, the statement said.
The plant will be constructed at Wunsiedel Energy Park and connected to the existing Siemens battery storage facility and adjacent industrial enterprises. These can use waste heat, or the oxygen split off during electrolysis. This connected infrastructure will serve as a model for the whole of Germany.
“Converting our energy supply to new, climate-neutral energy sources is one of the main objectives of the energy transition. Hydrogen plays a key role in this,” said Siemens CFO Professor Dr. Ralf P. Thomas at the ground-breaking ceremony. “In this respect, Wunsiedel, with its existing distributed energy system and the use of digital technology, is a lighthouse project for a sustainable energy future.”
For Siemens, digitalisation and sustainability are increasingly becoming the focus of business activities, he added.
The new hydrogen production plant is scheduled to go into operation in the summer of 2022.
Germany’s Minister of Environmental Affairs, Thorsten Glauber concluded: “Hydrogen is a key technology on the road to a climate-neutral future. The energy transition will only succeed if there are many innovative approaches like the one pursued in Wunsiedel.”
