Wilhelmshaven becomes a hydrogen hub: Uniper starts a major project!

Wilhelmshaven becomes a hydrogen hub: Uniper starts a major project!

A groundbreaking project is taking shape! Uniper has commissioned Electric Hydrogen to build an impressive 200 MW electrolyzer, part of the ambitious “Green Wilhelmshaven” project. This state-of-the-art electrolyzer plant will be built on the site of Uniper's former coal-fired power plant in Wilhelmshaven and will play a key role in hydrogen production.

The electrolyzer plant is powered by renewable electricity from wind farms and aims to market hydrogen to industrial customers in various sectors, including chemicals, steel, shipping and aviation. Electric Hydrogen, known for its innovative proton exchange membrane electrolysis (PEM), began preliminary front-end engineering design (Pre-FEED) back in October 2024. This technology enables efficient hydrogen production, with up to 1,900 kg of hydrogen per hour being produced per 100 MW system.

Hydrogen infrastructure on the rise

The project also includes an ammonia import terminal, which is planned in close proximity to the first LNG terminal in the north of Wilhelmshaven. Both plants will be connected via pipelines to the German hydrogen core network and to underground storage facilities in northern Germany. Wilhelmshaven is expected to develop into a central hub for green hydrogen in Germany. The EU is funding both the electrolyser and the ammonia terminal as a “Project of Common Interest” (PCI), which underlines the importance of this project.

Uniper, a company that emerged from E.on and ran into difficulties during the 2022 energy crisis, is now owned by the German state. With the goal of becoming completely CO2 neutral by 2040, the hydrogen project is a crucial part of Uniper's energy transition plans. Susanne Thöle, Director of Hydrogen at Uniper, emphasizes the central role of this project in future energy supply.