TotalEnergies and RWE partner on major hydrogen project
The pipeline will connect hydrogen production sites, such as Lingen in Lower Saxony, with large centres of industrial hydrogen consumption, such as Leuna.
TotalEnergies has stated the agreement will feature the “largest quantity of green hydrogen ever contracted from an electrolyser in Germany”.
French energy company TotalEnergies has announced a long-term offtake agreement with German developer RWE, featuring the supply of 30,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year.
Commencing in 2030, the project will oversee delivery of the fuel to the German Leuna refinery for fifteen years, with the storage stated to being provided locally through a 600 km pipeline.
Located on the RWE in Lingen, Germany, which will go into operation by 2027, the 300-megawatt electrolysis plant is set to prevent 300,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies empahasised how the project aims to reduce CO2 emissions in the long run.
Pouyanné said: “We are looking forward to developing further our partnership with RWE, our partner in several offshore wind projects in Germany and the Netherlands. This long-term contract for green hydrogen marks an important milestone to reducing our CO2 emissions at our Leuna refinery.
“It will be made possible thanks to the completion of the H2 backbone by German authorities and their efficient support to green H2 customers like our Leuna refinery”.
According to RWE, TotalEnergies needs significant quantities of green hydrogen to decarbonise its refineries in Europe, with the company having invited tenders for 500,000 metric tonnes of green hydrogen per year across Europe.
The supply relationship between RWE and TotalEnergies will be facilitated by the German hydrogen core network, connecting strategic hydrogen production sites, such as Lingen in Lower Saxony, with large centres of industrial hydrogen consumption, such as Leuna.
Stephan Weil, Prime Minister of Lower Saxony emphasised how this project will further develop the hydrogen economy across the region.
Weil said: ”This contract also sends an important signal to the important energy city of Lingen and for the development of a hydrogen economy in Lower Saxony and throughout Germany. The production and marketing of green hydrogen on an industrial scale, which we as a state also support financially, is an essential prerequisite for the successful transformation of our industry towards climate neutrality.
“Lower Saxony is leading the way in this area in Germany: 50 per cent of the EU-approved production of green hydrogen in Germany is in Lower Saxony, and 20 per cent of the hydrogen core network is being realised in Lower Saxony”.
