VoltH2 gets permit for its 20 MW electrolyser in Gelsenkirchen

VoltH2, which develops plants for green hydrogen to decarbonize industry and transport, has achieved an important milestone in its FID process in Germany: the BImSchG permit for the construction and operation of a 20 MW electrolysis plant at the Klimahafen in Gelsenkirchen. Today VoltH2 officially received the permit from Karin Welge, the mayor of Gelsenkirchen.

From left to right: Simon Nowack (Wirtschaftsförderung Gelsenkirchen), Arno Luisman (VoltH2), Karin Welge (Mayor Gelsenkirchen), Lars Baumgürtel (Klimahafen), Christoph Heidenreich (City of Gelsenkirchen), Michael Wünnemann (VoltH2).

VoltH2 is focusing on the production of RFNBO-compliant hydrogen. The PEM electrolysis plant in Gelsenkirchen will have a capacity of 20 MW, corresponding to an annual production of about 1,800 tons of green hydrogen. This will avoid the emission of about 23,000 tons of CO2. From the start, the project was able to count on a grant from the Ministry of Economics, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and is part of the HyPerformer Program.

The mayor of Gelsenkirchen, Karin Welge, officially presented VoltH2 with the permit today at a festive gathering.

"Climate change requires an accelerated conversion of our energy supply - away from fossil fuels and toward green energy," said Mayor Karin Welge. "For many industrial sectors, hydrogen is the key technology for this. To preserve and expand our industrial jobs, we are therefore together driving the change. I am therefore very pleased that today I can hand over the permit for an electrolysis plant at the Klimahafen in Gelsenkirchen and that we will be able to use hydrogen produced in Gelsenkirchen in the future."

Arno Luisman, CEO of VoltH2: "Thanks to the close cooperation with the city of Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenlog and DMT Energy Engineers/ENCOS, we can now effectively further develop this plant. The permit is an important milestone on the way to the final investment decision (FID) for the plant." 

VoltH2's 25,000-square-meter site is located in the Klimahafen near a number of key industrial companies. The site also provides space for a hydrogen filling station, which will allow transport companies in the region to switch to hydrogen without having to set up their own logistics. Customers who are not directly connected can be supplied via the tube trailer filling station, also planned.

The site (bottom center) inside Klimahafen Gelsenkirchen where VoltH2 will build its hydrogen plant.