RWE has taken an important step in developing 100MW of green hydrogen production at Eemshaven, the Netherlands. The country's largest electricity producer announced that it has secured the necessary construction and environmental permits to build an electrolyser near the Magnum Power Station in Eemshaven in the north of the country. If built, the electrolyser will contribute to the onshore energy system integration plans associated with the 795MW OranjeWind offshore wind project in the Dutch North Sea, which RWE is realising together with its joint venture partner TotalEnergies.
Sopna Sury, COO Hydrogen at RWE Generation SE: “Securing the necessary permits brings us a step closer to realising this electrolyser in Eemshaven. This would enable RWE to provide industry with green hydrogen to make their production processes more sustainable. With our plans of this electrolyser at the Eemshaven, RWE continues to contribute to the further growth in the area and helps to establish this cluster as a centre for renewable energy.”
OranjeWind electrolyser capacity
In order to address the challenges presented by matching intermittent electricity production from renewables with flexible demand for energy, a key part of the OranjeWind project is its integration into the Dutch energy system. The planned 100MW OranjeWind electrolyser in Eemshaven will make a significant contribution to this. Recently, TotalEnergies announced that it would dedicate its share of the renewable electricity production from the OranjeWind offshore wind project to power 350 MW electrolyser projects to produce green hydrogen for the decarbonisation of TotalEnergies’ refineries in Northern Europe.
With the announcement that RWE has secured the necessary permits which will enable it to develop a 100MW electrolyser on a plot adjacent to the Magnum Power Station, the company's plans for green hydrogen production in the region have increased, since the company is also working on the realisation of a 50MW electrolyser at the nearby Eems Power Station.
The realisation of the 50MW Eemshydrogen project and the 100MW OranjeWind electrolyser are subject to final investment decisions (FID). A key condition for these is the timely availability of the necessary infrastructure, such as the national hydrogen backbone, to transport the green hydrogen to customers.