IPCEI Hydrogen Projects: Enertrag Project “Electrolysis Corridor East Germany” Receives Funding Approval - Implementation Can Begin

Dauerthal / Berlin, Germany - Federal Minister Robert Habeck handed over the funding decisions to the representatives of 23 IPCEI hydrogen projects (IPCEI = Important Projects of Common European Interest) yesterday (July 15, 2024) at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) in the presence of representatives of the federal states.

The renewable energy service provider Enertrag is one of the companies that received a funding decision as part of the IPCEI Hy2Infra wave. The company was awarded the contract for the “Electrolysis Corridor East Germany” project. The receipt of the funding decision represents a significant milestone for Enertrag and heralds the implementation phase of the projects.

The Enertrag project comprises an electrolysis capacity of 185 MW, spread over two sites in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg. Both sites are connected to the so-called hydrogen core network and together will feed around 15,000 tons of hydrogen per year into the hydrogen pipeline provided by the core network.

The location of the two project sites in sparsely populated regions is also intended to contribute to local value creation. According to Enertrag, the choice of location is also beneficial to the system, as renewable surplus electricity is refined directly on site instead of being curtailed and the electricity made available to the power grid is stabilised through the system-friendly operation of the electrolysis.

“With our subsidised electrolyser capacities in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, we have achieved a market share of around 12% in Germany and will thus make a significant contribution to supplying industrial customers with green hydrogen via the hydrogen pipelines of the core network,” says Enertrag Board Member Dr. Tobias Bischof-Niemz, emphasizing the importance of the Enertrag project for the national supply of hydrogen.

“The realisation of this project shows that Germany is taking on a pioneering role in the field of hydrogen technology. Our sites in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are strategically positioned to promote regional development and maximise the efficient use of renewable energies,” adds Anna Jabloniec-Grüger, Head of the Hydrogen Department at Enertrag, with a view to the regional added value associated with the projects in the two eastern German states.

Source: IWR Online, 16 Jul 2024