RWE has started commissioning Europe's largest renewable hydrogen plant in Lingen, Germany, the company announced on December 22. The 100-MW electrolyzer represents the first phase of the 300-MW GET H2 Nukleus project and will supply hydrogen to TotalEnergies' Leuna refinery in Germany.

Project Scale and Timeline

The commissioning process for the first 100 MW of the electrolysis plant in Lingen is currently underway, with the first phase expected to start commercial operation in 2026. Once operational, the plant will be the largest facility of its kind on the continent to date, featuring almost double the capacity of the current largest facility.

BASF currently operates the largest green hydrogen facility in Europe, a 54-MW proton exchange membrane electrolyzer in Ludwigshafen, Germany, which started up in March. Several other 100-MW electrolyzers are currently under construction across the continent.

RWE aims to bring the full 300 MW of capacity at the Lingen facility online by 2027. The company has strategically ordered long-lead items for the project and begun preparatory work ahead of government funding commitments, enabling an early start to the development process.

Supply Agreement and Infrastructure

In March, RWE signed a 15-year supply agreement with TotalEnergies to supply the eastern German Leuna site with 30,000 metric tons of green hydrogen per year, beginning in 2030. The hydrogen will be transported via a 600-kilometer pipeline to the refinery, where it will replace conventional fossil fuel-derived hydrogen in fuel production processes.

The pipeline forms part of the German core hydrogen grid, which is currently under construction. To ensure a reliable hydrogen supply even during periods of low solar and wind generation, RWE will utilize booked capacities of a hydrogen storage facility in Gronau-Epe, scheduled to begin operations in 2027.

According to Sopna Sury, RWE Generation's Chief Operating Officer for Hydrogen, the maturity of both the GET H2 Nucleus project in Lingen and the hydrogen storage facility in Epe enabled the company to negotiate the 15-year offtake agreement with TotalEnergies.

Technology and Equipment

RWE ordered the first two 100-MW PEM electrolysis plants from Linde/ITM Power in 2022. The company also secured a third 100-MW alkaline electrolyzer from German manufacturer Sunfire to complete the 300-MW capacity.

The project represents a significant investment in proton exchange membrane and alkaline electrolysis technologies, positioning RWE as a major player in Europe's growing green hydrogen sector.

Market Pricing

Current market assessments show the cost of EU-compliant green hydrogen production via alkaline electrolysis in Germany, backed by renewable power purchase agreements, at EUR 7.54 per kilogram ($8.86 per kilogram) as of December 19. This pricing reflects the economic landscape for green hydrogen production in the European market.

The GET H2 Nukleus project represents a major milestone in Germany's energy transition strategy and the broader European push toward renewable hydrogen production. The facility's substantial capacity and long-term supply agreements demonstrate the growing commercial viability of large-scale green hydrogen production in Europe.

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