Refining meets Steel and Hydrogen | Germany

Refining meets Steel and Hydrogen  | Germany

The European Commission officially recognised our GET H2 project as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI). This means that sub-projects of the GET H2 initiative may receive financial support from the federal and state governments.

Essen-based energy company STEAG, Duisburg-based steel producer thyssenkrupp Steel and Dortmund-based thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers, specializing in electrolysis technology, are working on a joint feasibility study. The study deals with the construction of a water electrolysis plant at the STEAG site in Duisburg-Walsum by thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers, the structuring of energy supply and operation of the electrolysis plant by STEAG and the supply of green hydrogen and oxygen to thyssenkrupp Steel's steel mill in the neighboring Duisburg district of Bruckhausen. The study will lay the basis for the subsequent project development. All three parties involved are planning to participate as investors and will actively seek private and public funding.  

Establishment of a hydrogen hub in North Rhine-Westphalia

The hydrogen strategies recently adopted by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as well as those of the German Federal Government and the European Union underline the importance of hydrogen for a climate-neutral society. They endorse the development of a hydrogen economy and infrastructure in Germany and in Europe. In this context, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the city of Duisburg can play a key role: This region is the center of hydrogen demand and technological expertise for the construction and operation of electrolysis plants. The hydrogen roadmap of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia illustrates this fact, and the collaboration of three companies based in this region aimed at establishing a local hydrogen production hub underlines this perspective.

What is the goal of GET H2?

With GET H2, we are pursuing the goal of creating a central building block for the hydrogen economy in the Emsland, Münsterland and Ruhr area, which is to emerge in Germany in the coming years and make a significant contribution to achieving the climate goals of the German government. In doing so, we take into account the entire value chain including production, storage, consumption and import from the Netherlands. 

GET H2 is a joint project of RWE, RWE Gas Storage West, bp, Nowega GmbH, Thyssengas, Salzgitter AG and OGE. Together with our strong partners, we are continuing to drive forward the development of the hydrogen infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, thus forming the nucleus for a nationwide H2 infrastructure.

OGE contributes its many years of expertise in pipeline construction and is leading the planning and expansion of the hydrogen network in GET H2 together with Nowega and Thyssengas. Existing pipelines will be converted and new sections will be built to connect producers and import routes with industrial consumers.

With the notification, another major step towards the realization of the GET H2 initiative was taken and an important basis for the final investment decisions was made. In the coming weeks, we expect to receive the funding decisions quickly so that the excavators can roll. Remarkably, all project partners have so far made considerable advance payments in order to be able to meet the schedule of the planned commissioning. 

Finance for the Green Economy