RWE projects at Brunsbüttel location

Efforts to expand a sustainable and renewable energy supply system are in full swing as RWE joins forces with partners from the fields of policy, industry and science. There is an increasing focus on battery storage systems, hydrogen projects and gas power to cover the transition. In the industrial port city of Brunsbüttel, known for being a centre for technology, two projects with a national ambit are now running in parallel: With input from RWE and other partners, Brunsbüttel is becoming a leading German port for the importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG). For the longer term, the system must also be made ready for the prospect of conversion from LNG to hydrogen.

In parallel, an ammonia terminal is taking shape at the same location, in this case a project exclusive to RWE. With its direct access to the North Sea and the Baltic, and its connection to Europe’s inland waterways, Brunsbüttel meets the ideal logistical criteria. Brunsbüttel Ports GmbH is offering support for this construction project by making space available, in addition to acting as a logistical partner with port infrastructure for discharging tankers.

In the next stage, the plan is to set up a large industrial-scale cracking unit at the terminal, to convert the ammonia back into green hydrogen on-site. The hydrogen will then be transported to industrial customers via a dedicated H₂ pipeline. This expansion stage is expected to coincide with an increase in the ammonia volume to two million tonnes per year. RWE assumes the investment volume will run to several hundred million euros.

To ensure the use of ammonia as a hydrogen derivate is climate-neutral, the generation plants must run on electricity from renewables. RWE classes green ammonia, in its function as a carrier, as the most competitive and most technologically mature hydrogen derivate. Demand for green molecules will grow dramatically in the future in order to achieve climate targets. This is where the green ammonia terminal will provide a vital point of contact in facilitating access to green molecules from other parts of the world in addition to in-house hydrogen generation.

The prospect of conversion and compatibility for using the terminal for ammonia must be taken into account right at the construction stage. For RWE as a shareholder, this underlines its intention to focus in particular on the green conversion of the LNG terminal. The adjacent ammonia import terminal will thus provide important empirical reference values for the subsequent conversion from LNG to hydrogen.