The Hamburg-based hydrogen company HH2E has ordered three compressors from the Lower Saxony machinery manufacturer Aerzen. The units are to be used in a planned 1-GW plant on the Baltic Sea coast starting in 2026 for the production of green hydrogen. In the long term, the companies plan to further expand their partnership – HH2E aims to install four gigawatts of electrolysis capacity in Germany by 2030.
Aerzen will supply three VRW 536M compressors for the HH2E “hydrogen factory” in Lubmin. This announcement was made by the companies at the Achema trade fair on June 14 in Frankfurt. The total value of the order is in the "upper seven-figure range."
Currently, the H2 factory in Lubmin is still under construction. At the beginning of the year, network operator Gascade announced it would take over the connection to the pipeline network. Starting in 2026, green hydrogen is to be produced here with an initial capacity of 100 MW. This corresponds to around 6,000 tons (over 200,000 MWh) of hydrogen per year. By 2030, HH2E plans to expand the capacity to over 1 GW, which would correspond to an annual production of more than 60,000 tons of hydrogen.
Oil-Free Compressor with High Efficiency
According to Aerzen, the VRW 536M compressors have been specifically developed for the compression of hydrogen. The units feature a flow rate of approximately 4,700 m³/h each and a final pressure of 8.0 bar each. They are designed to combine the advantages of an oil-free compressor (no contamination of the medium) with high efficiency.
Through the pre-compression (booster) of the large H2 flow rates to higher intermediate pressures, a significantly smaller and more cost-effective design of the main compressors is possible. This enables significant cost savings. The explosion-proof unit also offers a large control range and can therefore optimally handle the fluctuations that typically occur when using renewable energies.
As a screw compressor, the VRW 536M can also process larger flow rates, making it "the perfect link" between the electrolyzer and high-pressure compressors.
Collaboration on Further Major Projects Possible
Christian Meyer, Sales Engineer at Aerzen, emphasized that the VRW 536M enables the compression of electrolysis hydrogen "with previously unattained efficiency." The model is therefore "an important component for the hydrogen transition."
Meyer described HH2E's projects as "pioneering" for green hydrogen production in Germany. Overall, HH2E aims to install at least 4 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity in Germany by 2030. In this context, the recent contract with Aerzen could be the start of a long-term cooperation, as Karsten Kinzig, Head of Procurement at HH2E, explained:
"Our goal is to offer hydrogen at fair prices. Innovative technology partners like Aerzen support us in this endeavor. We look forward to building a long-term collaboration with Aerzen."
