Shell opens 10 MW hydrogen electrolyser at German refinery

 

Royal Dutch Shell launched Europe's biggest hydrogen electrolysis plant of 10 megawatts (MW) called Refhyne at the Wesseling site of its Rheinland refinery after two years of construction, expanding further into alternative energies.

The plant will produce green fuels within a European Union-funded consortium which is already setting sights on a facility of 100 MW at the site near Cologne to scale up..

its commercial operations.

Hydrogen is considered "green" when it is produced from renewable power from wind or solar through electrolysis whereas "grey" hydrogen from fossil fuels is a feedstock in many standard industry processes today. read more

Hydrogen has a high energy content by mass, but conversion losses from electrolysis and high costs involved in readying it for delivery pose challenges.

Under the EU Green Deal's climate targets, green quality hydrogen is expected to play a role in energy, but also in mobility, heat provision, and hard-to-decarbonise industries such as steel or cement.

Shell also aims to produce sustainable aviation fuel from renewable electricity and biomass at Wesseling as well as developing a plant for liquefied renewable natural gas (bio-LNG).

"Shell wants to become a leading supplier of green hydrogen for industrial and transport customers in Germany," said Huibert Vigeveno, Downstream Director at Shell.

The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyser will use renewable power to produce up to 1,300 tonnes a year of green hydrogen, initially to be used to produce fuels with lower carbon intensity and later to decarbonise other industries.

The plant has cost around 20 million euros ($23.72 million) of which half came from EU funds.

The consortium is made up of, apart from Shell, the electrolyser producer ITM Power (ITM.L), research organisation SINTEF and consultants Sphera and Element Energy.

"With the commissioning of the largest PEM electrolysis plant in Europe, we are further expanding our leading role in this field," said North Rhine Westphalia's state premier Armin Laschet, referring to his region.

The industrial state accounts for 30% of Germany's grey hydrogen usage.

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