The energy supplier EWE has begun construction of a 320-megawatt electrolysis plant in Emden. The plant is part of the Clean Hydrogen Coastline project and is expected to supply green hydrogen to industrial customers from the end of 2027. With the award of the contract for civil engineering and structural work, the concrete implementation of one of Europe's largest hydrogen projects to date is now underway.
Following the final investment decision in July 2024, EWE AG awarded the contract to a consortium consisting of the construction companies Ludwig Freytag, Gebrüder Neumann, and MBN. Stefan Dohler, CEO of EWE AG, described the start of construction as a decisive step from planning to implementation: “This will create one of the first electrolysers of market-relevant size in Germany.” At the same time, the cooperation with the construction companies creates planning security to start the active marketing of green hydrogen and send a strong signal for the industrial market ramp-up.
Dohler also emphasized the need for reliable political framework conditions. He referred to the Federal Audit Office's report on the hydrogen strategy and called for acceleration and cost-effectiveness in the market ramp-up. “For hydrogen to play a key role in climate protection and competitiveness, we need reliable and practical regulations,” said Dohler.
Among other things, EWE is calling for a reform of the RFNBO rules to enable more flexible and cost-efficient operation of electrolysers. Other demands include competitive electricity prices, grid-friendly location advantages and reliable demand stimuli – for example, through quotas for green industrial products.
Three subprojects form “Clean Hydrogen Coastline”
The plant in Emden is part of the large-scale Clean Hydrogen Coastline project, which consists of three sub-projects:
- Emden electrolysis plant: Construction of a 320-megawatt plant for the system-friendly production of hydrogen from renewable energies.
- Integration into the Huntorf cavern storage facility: Conversion of one of the seven salt caverns from natural gas to hydrogen storage. EWE already has experience in the storage and extraction of hydrogen, including at its site in Rüdersdorf near Berlin.
- Optimization of the gas infrastructure in the northwest: Conversion of several pipeline sections to connect production plants, storage facilities, and users via the German hydrogen core network and the European Hydrogen Backbone.
With this project, EWE is underlining its role as a driver for the development of a market-relevant hydrogen infrastructure in Germany.
