RWE and Westfalen Group have begun work on construction of hydrogen tank infrastructure in Lingen. The "H2 Filling Hub Lingen" comprises a public hydrogen refuelling station for commercial vehicles at the main gate of the RWE Emsland gas-fired power plant (KEM) and a filling station for tanker vehicles that is not open to the public.
The fuel station and filling line will source their green hydrogen from RWE’s 14-megawatt pilot electrolyser in Lingen, which will commence operations in the near future.
The public hydrogen refuelling station is aimed at operators of hydrogen-powered trucks, waste collection vehicles and buses as well as hydrogen cars. The filling station will enable companies that sign a purchase agreement with RWE to collect hydrogen with tank trailers and transport it to their sites of operation from mid-2025. The first quantities are currently being sold. Interested parties can now register for the first hydrogen tender via a web form.
Dr Sopna Sury, COO Hydrogen at RWE Generation SE: “Until companies in the region are connected to a hydrogen distribution network, our filling infrastructure creates an opportunity for green molecules to reach the customer by road. In this way, we will make green hydrogen available as early as 2025 and enable companies to switch their processes to hydrogen and achieve their climate targets at an early stage.”
Dr Thomas Perkmann, CEO Westfalen Group: “The future belongs to hydrogen as a raw material and energy source. We are convinced of this. The hydrogen refuelling station and the neighbouring filling station here in Lingen are just the first visible signs of the hydrogen cooperation between RWE and Westfalen. Both companies are representative of the industry, which is more than ready for a hydrogen ramp-up in Germany.”
The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV) with a total of €6 million as part of the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. Funding for this measure is also provided as part of the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facilities (ARF) in the NextGenerationEU programme. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ). The total investment volume amounts to around €18 million.
RWE and Westfalen AG are working together to develop and construct the plant. RWE will be the owner, while Westfalen will take charge of operations. The facility in Lingen is the first joint undertaking by the two companies. To expand the hydrogen fuel station network in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, RWE and Westfalen Group have set up a joint venture under the name of “two4H2”.
The refuelling station can provide up to 500 kilograms of hydrogen per day. For comparison: a fuel cell truck consumes up to 10 kilograms of hydrogen per 100 kilometres. The entire system can process over 2,500 kilograms of hydrogen per day.
Pictures of the H2 Filling Hub for media use (credit: RWE) are available at RWE Media Centre.