EU Commission Approves IPCEI Hy2Infra Project Wave: Enertrag Receives Green Light For Electrolysis Corridor in Eastern Germany

Dauerthal, Germany - The EU Commission has approved the Hy2Infra IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) project wave jointly planned by seven member states under state aid rules. This means that projects within the framework of Hy2Infra can be supported with public funding of up to 6.9 billion euros.

The projects under the umbrella of "IPCEI Hy2Infra" were prepared jointly by France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Slovakia. The main objective is to use the infrastructure wave to drive the production of domestic hydrogen, thereby reducing dependence on natural gas and helping to achieve the goals of the European Green Deal and the Repower EU plan.

Enertrag will play an important role within the Hy2Infra wave with the pioneering sub-project "Electrolysis Corridor East Germany" with a capacity of 185 MW. The capacity of the electrolysis corridor in eastern Germany is spread across two locations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg. Both electrolysers are located on the "doing hydrogen" H2 pipeline and will feed around 15,000 t/a of the hydrogen produced there into the pipeline.

Thanks to the geographical location of the sites, Enertrag not only contributes to regional development, but also enables the efficient use of renewable resources. With the help of H2 production, surplus electricity that would otherwise remain unused is refined, thereby increasing local value creation.

In addition to large-scale electrolysers, Hy2Infra also promotes H2 pipelines, hydrogen storage facilities and transhipment terminals for liquid organic hydrogen carriers.

The approval of the Hy2Infra wave is a decisive step that brings the project significantly closer to implementation. According to Enertrag, the Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) is now expected to issue the funding decisions for the electrolysis corridor sub-project in eastern Germany in the near future.

"For Enertrag, the electrolysis corridor in eastern Germany is one of the most important milestones in the development of the national hydrogen infrastructure. With our electrolyser capacities in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, we have a market share of around 12 percent in Germany and are helping to supply urgently needed hydrogen to industrial customers," says Dr. Tobias Bischof-Niemz, Head of New Energy Solutions at Enertrag, welcoming the EU Commission's approval.

Source: IWR Online, 21 Feb 2024