Source: Energy & Management Powernews, September 15, 2022
The largest plant in Bavaria for the production of green hydrogen has gone into operation in the Franconian town of Wunsiedel. A doubling of the power of 8.75 MW is already planned.
"The most important means of production is now available in sufficient form." The gag already made the rounds at the groundbreaking ceremony for the electrolysis project in Wunsiedel, when the celebrations were also marred by heavy rainfall.
However, this did not dampen the confidence that the guests at the ceremony exuded with regard to further lighthouse projects of the energy turnaround in the Upper Franconia region. Hydrogen is a pacemaker of the energy transition, said Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) at the official commissioning of the electrolyzer after a one-year construction period on September 14. He pointed out that the Free State is spending half a billion euros to advance the technology. At the same time, he emphasized the importance of hydrogen in relieving the strain on electricity grids by allowing it to be used as an energy storage device. At the same time, Söder encouraged other municipalities and regions to also follow such paths: "Everyone must make their own contribution to the energy transition," he stressed.
The Minister President also promised that the Free State would contribute a million euros to the "Future Energy Lab" project, which is researching digital technologies for the energy industry together with the University of Bayreuth. Matthias Rebellius, CEO Smart Infrastructure at Siemens, joined in, pointing out the importance of a local and decentralized power supply, in which rural areas play a major role.
Veronika Bienert, CEO Financial Services, highlighted that Siemens has an equity stake of 42% in the operating company of the electrolyzer "WUN H2 GmbH". The other shareholders are Rießner Gase and Stadtwerke Wunsiedel (SWW).
Regional industry and transportation as customers
The electrolyzer in the Wunsiedel Energy Park has a capacity of 8.75 MW and is one of the largest in Germany. The plant produces 1,350 metric tons of hydrogen per year from renewable energy, which means a CO2 saving of 13,500 metric tons, according to Siemens calculations. The Silyzer 300 electrolyzer uses PEM technology, which is particularly well suited for operation with photovoltaic or wind power.
The green hydrogen is to be used primarily in the region. Glass and ceramics industries, automotive suppliers and a neighboring sawmill are all possible candidates. Or transportation companies: The hydrogen produced in Wunsiedel could power hundreds of heavy trucks. That is why a hydrogen filling station for trucks is also to be built in the energy park, and it should be available as early as 2023.
But other customers for the electrolysis products can also be found here: A neighboring factory for the production of wood pellets wants to convert one of its three combined heat and power plants so that it can run entirely on hydrogen. A pipeline has already been laid. There is also interest in the waste heat from the electrolyzer - 1.7 MW after all: A drying plant nearby has expressed demand. The same applies to the oxygen that is left over. It could be used in the sewage treatment plant.
Delegations from all over the world show interest
No wonder, then, that the many ideas also make others curious: 50 delegations from all over the world, reports Marco Krasser, the initiator of the project, have already been there. And the head of the municipal utility company is far from finished with his plans. He is already considering doubling the output by adding a second electrolyzer. As project manager Andreas Schmuderer from Siemens reports, demand is rising sharply. There is additional demand, for example, in rail transport, where hydrogen is also becoming more and more fashionable and consumption is enormous.
Author: Günter Drewnitzky
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