The first hydrogen produced by electrolysis in Lingen, Lower Saxony, has arrived at Evonik's Marl Chemical Park in the northern Ruhr area, marking the first time all components of Germany's GET H2 Nukleus integrated hydrogen project have functioned together as a complete system.

A Milestone for Integrated Hydrogen Infrastructure

The delivery represents the culmination of years of coordinated development across the full hydrogen value chain. RWE is operating two 100-megawatt electrolysis plants in Lingen, which are currently undergoing commissioning.

During this phase, initial quantities of green hydrogen are being produced in compliance with European Union rules. That hydrogen is transported through a pipeline network of approximately 120 kilometres, operated by transmission system operators Nowega and OGE, as well as SYNEQT, a subsidiary of Evonik, before arriving at the Marl Chemical Park where it is made available for use in industrial production processes.

Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE Generation SE, described the significance of the achievement. "The fact that certified renewable hydrogen from Lingen has reached Marl via pipelines shows that electrolysis, transport infrastructure and industrial offtake can work together," he said.

"We are now moving ahead quickly towards the full commissioning of our electrolysers. Over the coming months, we will prepare the plants for commercial operation."

Scale-Up Timeline and EU Compliance

RWE is targeting 200 megawatts of electrolysis capacity in Lingen by the end of 2026. The entire plant is then scheduled to operate at a capacity of 300 megawatts from 2027 onward.

The hydrogen produced at the Lingen facility meets EU requirements for renewable fuels of non-biological origin, a classification known as RFNBO. Customers receiving the hydrogen will be provided with proof of sustainability documentation, allowing them to apply it toward their own decarbonisation accounting.

First Pipelines Entering Network Operation

For the transmission system operators involved, the project represents a practical proving ground for hydrogen network management at scale. Thomas Hüwener, CEO of OGE, noted that GET H2 Nukleus marks the entry of the company's first hydrogen pipelines into network operation.

"This is an important step in establishing a hydrogen economy in the region and in Germany," he said. "At the same time, the project is creating important foundations for the future market design and allowing us to test key processes such as network access, capacity booking and balancing under real operation conditions."

The pipelines that form part of GET H2 Nukleus are among the first sections of the broader hydrogen core network currently being developed across Germany. Frank Heunemann, Managing Director of Nowega, pointed to the value of early collaboration with industrial customers in shaping the transport infrastructure.

"By starting at an early stage and working together constructively, we are creating important momentum for the design of the new overall system," he said. The companies had previously gained operational experience through the GET H2 TransHyDE research project, and that experience is now being expanded through real-world operation of the full integrated system.

Industrial Offtake at Marl

At the receiving end of the pipeline, Thomas Basten, Chairman of the Management Board of SYNEQT, described the arrival of hydrogen at the Marl Chemical Park as a step toward sustainable transformation at the site.

"Once the hydrogen reaches Marl, it is available for direct use in industrial processes," he said. "At the same time, its availability makes the site more attractive for new businesses."

Basten credited the long-standing cooperation among all project partners as the enabling factor behind the milestone. A further pipeline linking SYNEQT's Marl Chemical Park with the refinery in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven has already been completed as part of the broader infrastructure buildout.

Public Funding and European Context

Parts of GET H2 Nukleus are being funded by the German federal government and the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia through the IPCEI programme, specifically the Hy2Infra strand dedicated to hydrogen infrastructure.

IPCEI stands for Important Projects of Common European Interest, a mechanism that allows EU member states to jointly fund projects considered strategically significant for the European economy.

Additional Pipeline Projects Underway

The GET H2 Nukleus project does not stand alone. Several linked pipeline initiatives have already been completed or are actively under development. OGE and Nowega completed a 10-kilometre new-build pipeline from Heek to Epe at the end of 2025, connecting a hydrogen storage facility to the network.

By the end of 2026, RWE Gas Storage West is scheduled to begin filling what the companies describe as the first commercial cavern storage facility for hydrogen in Europe, with that facility expected to begin full operations in mid-2027.

Looking further ahead, OGE and Nowega are converting an existing pipeline between Legden and Dorsten to carry hydrogen, with that conversion targeted for completion by 2027. The two companies are also constructing a new pipeline running from Dorsten to Marl to connect additional industrial customers to the network.

About the GET H2 Initiative

GET H2 was founded in 2019 and has grown to include more than 50 companies, institutions, associations and municipalities working together to build a hydrogen economy in Germany.

The initiative focuses on concrete planning and implementation across the entire hydrogen value chain, from electrolysis and imports through transport, storage and industrial application.

GET H2 Nukleus, funded under the Hy2Infra IPCEI programme, was described by the partners as one of the first integrated hydrogen projects at industrial scale to be commissioned in 2026.

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