Plans Submitted for German Hydrogen Storage Facility

RWE has submitted planning approval documents to the Arnsberg District Government for the construction of a hydrogen storage facility in Epe, Gronau, Germany.

The project was originally announced in April 2022 and is set to be developed by RWE Gas Storage West.

It has been explained by RWE that the facility will be used for commercial purposes and will mostly be built on the company’s existing site at Kottiger Hook by the end of 2026.

In October last year, RWE announced that, in contrast to the original plan, it would add another cavern to the planned facilities, bringing the total to two caverns. The second cavern is located within the defined assessment area for the environmental impact assessment.

RWE has applied for funding for the construction of the storage facility within the framework of IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) Hydrogen. Funding has not yet been approved, which means that RWE’s final investment decision is still pending.

The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia have selected projects—including RWE’s hydrogen storage facility—that will receive national funding if a favourable decision is made at the European level.