VoltH2 and TÜV Nord launch development of green hydrogen plant in Essen
Essen/Bergen op Zoom - VoltH2, developer and future producer of green hydrogen, is partnering with TÜV NORD GROUP in Essen to develop a green hydrogen plant. The joint project is important for mobility projects with green hydrogen in the region and is part of the HyPerformer Region Rhein Ruhr. German State Secretary Michael Theurer announced today that Rhein Ruhr, the region around Essen, will be included in the HyPerformer II program along with two more German regions.
VoltH2 is developing a chain of green hydrogen plants in Europe. With sites in Vlissingen, Terneuzen, Delfzijl (NL) and Wilhelmshaven (D), the company already had a portfolio with a potential production capacity of 500MW. A fifth location is now coming up in Essen. VoltH2 and EE Energy Engineers, the division of TÜV NORD GROUP specializing in hydrogen, energy efficiency and sustainability, joined forces. The project, for which a feasibility study has already been delivered with positive results, is part of the HyPerformer Region Rhein Ruhr.
The Rhine-Ruhr region, where Essen is located, is one of three regions that were today named winners of the HyPerformer II program. Thanks to this competition, a total of 10 projects in the region for the development of hydrogen refueling stations and electrolyzers are eligible for funding. In total, applicants in the Rhine-Ruhr region will receive €15 million from the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport and another €15 million from the Ministry of Economics, Industry, Climate and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to help them develop their plants.
Iqony district heating
VoltH2's first talks with EE Energy Engineers date back to early 2022. André Jurres, Managing Director of VoltH2: "Essen and the Ruhr region form a solid industrial network with good transport possibilities. Combined with the knowledge and expertise within TÜV NORD GROUP, this was immediately a project with potential for VoltH2."
On a 5,000m2 site there will be units with a capacity of around 10MW. The green hydrogen will be generated via electrolysis. The heat released from this process will be fed into the district heat grid (Iqony). Andreas Ziolek, Managing Director TÜV Nord, explains more: "We wanted to establish a project with a high degree of sustainability. Therefore, our team not only conducted research into the pure production of hydrogen, but also analyzed how the residual heat generated by the electrolyser could heat our new buildings on the Essen site."
Energy Capital
This project involves an investment of about EUR 30 million. According to current planning, production of green hydrogen will start in 2026. For procurement, there is a possible cooperation with H2Mobility, Europe's largest hydrogen fueling company. With over 80 refueling stations, it today holds a large share of the German market. Within the framework of this project, H2Mobility is building, among other things, a filling station in Essen, in the immediate vicinity of the electrolyser. For VoltH2, which allocates this green hydrogen to the local mobility sector, the proximity to this customer is an additional asset.
André Jurres: "This project offers opportunities in all parts of the value chain. After the launch of our first German project in Wilhelmshaven, Germany's energy port, we are delighted that a project in Essen, Germany's energy capital, is now in the works. Because the German market is important, we opened an office in Essen this month and are looking hard for German employees. That way we are close to the market and can manage our current and future German projects from Essen."
