Hydrogen | Shell to Construct 100-Megawatt Renewable Hydrogen Electrolyzer in Germany

Location：Home > > Market Intelligence > Hydrogen | Shell to Construct 100-Megawatt Renewable Hydrogen Electrolyzer in Germany

Hydrogen | Shell to Construct 100-Megawatt Renewable Hydrogen Electrolyzer in Germany

Date：2024-08-17

Font size：A+A-

Keyword tags： Hydrogen PEM EU

Shell Germany announced on July 25th that it has reached a final investment decision (FID) to advance the REFHYNE II project, a 100-megawatt renewable Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer for hydrogen production, located at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland in Germany.

The REFHYNE II project, powered by renewable electricity, is expected to produce up to 44,000 kilograms of renewable hydrogen per day, contributing to the partial decarbonization of on-site operations. The electrolyzer is planned to be operational by 2027.

Huibert Vigeveno, Shell's Director for Downstream, Renewables, and Energy Solutions, stated that investing in the REFHYNE II project demonstrates Shell's commitment to hydrogen energy, aiding in the decarbonization of Shell's operations and its customers' products.

The renewable hydrogen from REFHYNE II will be utilized at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park to produce energy products such as transportation fuels with a reduced carbon footprint. Once operational, the hydrogen produced by REFHYNE II is anticipated to meet the current EU legislation requirements for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO). The project will initially lower carbon emissions at Shell's production facilities, with future plans to supply renewable hydrogen directly to customers, helping to reduce carbon emissions in the region. Key project partners for REFHYNE II include ITM Power (Trading) Ltd, ITM Power Germany GmbH, Linde GmbH, TECNALIA, ETM, SINTEF AS, and CONCAWE. Currently, 30% of Germany's hydrogen demand comes from the manufacturing industry in North Rhine-Westphalia, with estimates suggesting that the demand will double by 2030.

The REFHYNE II project follows the successful commissioning of the 10-megawatt PEM electrolyzer REFHYNE I project in 2021, which also uses renewable electricity to produce 1,300 tons of green hydrogen annually. Manufactured by ITM Power in Sheffield, UK, the electrolyzer comprises components from Italy, Sweden, Spain, and Germany. REFHYNE II will utilize PEM electrolyzers produced by ITM Power and Linde. At the inauguration of the first phase, Dr. Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power, indicated that the 100-megawatt electrolyzer (Refhyne II) would pave the way for future gigawatt-scale hydrogen projects.

REFHYNE I

In addition to the German hydrogen production projects, Shell is currently constructing the Holland Hydrogen I project in the Netherlands, with a capacity of 200 megawatts. Under construction and set to operate by 2025, it will be one of Europe's largest renewable hydrogen plants. The 200MW electrolyzer will be located at Tweede Maasvlakte in the Port of Rotterdam, producing approximately 60,000-80,000 kilograms of renewable hydrogen daily. The renewable energy for the electrolyzer will come from the Hollandse Kust (noord) offshore wind farm, part-owned by Shell.

Holland Hydrogen I

Shell aims to become a net-zero-emissions energy business by 2050, in line with societal goals. As part of the Powering Progress strategy, Shell plans to restructure its refinery footprint into five core energy and chemicals parks, reducing the production of traditional fuels by 55% by 2030.

According to Shell's data, the company plans to invest between $10 and $15 billion from 2023 to 2025 to support the development of low-carbon energy solutions, including electric mobility, low-carbon fuels, renewable power generation, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage. In 2023, Shell invested $5.6 billion in low-carbon solutions, accounting for 23% of its capital expenditure.

Both the first phase REFHYNE I and the second phase REFHYNE II have received partial policy support funding from Europe and Germany. The first phase REFHYNE I was funded by the European Commission through the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). The second phase REFHYNE II received policy subsidies due to its alignment with the EU's binding targets for renewable hydrogen use and the regulatory framework of the German Federal Government; additionally, it is funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

Service Queries

Newest Market Intelligence

Reading Ranking