With an electrolysis capacity of 50 MW, the hub can produce up to 5,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually
The hub has a globally unique sustainable value chain for green hydrogen production
Potential customers include regional industrial and mobility companies such as the truck hydrogen filling station Hypion
Neumünster, March 21, 2024: A lighthouse project for the production of green hydrogen is to be built in Neumünster. Today, INFENER CEO Joel Vogl and Senior Mayor Tobias Bergmann gave the go-ahead for the realization of the INFENER hub at a press conference. The planned hub is set to produce up to 5,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year from 2026 with an installed electrolysis capacity of 50 megawatts (MW). Other plants currently produce an average of around 1,500 tonnes. The holistic approach is also unique, making the hub a showcase project for the decentralized hydrogen circular economy.
"With this project, we are consolidating our reputation as the hydrogen capital of Schleswig-Holstein. Architecturally, the plant will be an eye-catcher and it is also economically important for our city, as the plant's headquarters will be in Neumünster. Following the decision by the main committee to reserve the site for INFENER, I am confident that the council will follow suit next Tuesday. This is a great success for the energy transition in our region," declares Senior Mayor Tobias Bergmann.
The design was created by the Hamburg-based architecture and design firm Hadi Teherani. Construction of the facility on a 29,000 square meter site is scheduled to start this year. The costs are expected to total 133 million euros.
The first system in the world with a closed cycle of green hydrogen production
“Our goal with the hub is to create a globally unique, sustainable and regional value chain from green hydrogen production," says INFENER CEO and co-founder Joel Vogl. "The green electricity is produced decentrally, i.e. primarily from solar and wind power plants in the region, and converted into green hydrogen on-site in electrolysers. The resulting waste heat will be used as part of the future municipal heat supply and for industrial processes. The high-quality oxygen that is also produced during electrolysis is valuable for a variety of industries, and is particularly important for oxyfuel combustion. Even rainwater will be collected in cisterns for reuse."
The roof of the hub features solar cells with a peak capacity of 2.3 MW and supplies the futuristic building with green energy on a partially self-sufficient basis. "Our aim was to develop aesthetic architecture that goes beyond that of a traditional production site. The hub is intended to be a place of vision, innovation, and change," says Sebastian Appl, Head of Architects at Hadi Teherani Architects. The hub will not only serve as a production facility, but also as a visitor and research center.
For years now, Schleswig-Holstein has been producing significantly more electricity from renewable energies than it consumes itself. INFENER wants to use this surplus electricity to produce green hydrogen and deliberately stabilize and relieve the power grid. Thanks to the integration of a long-term storage unit in the form of hydrogen, which efficiently stores the surplus green electricity, the hub will work in a well-aimed manner to support the grid. The green electricity required for electrolysis within the hub will also come from direct contracts with operators (PPAs) of wind and photovoltaic plants in the region. INFENER will benefit from its investment in Hadi Teherani Solar GmbH (HTS), which will ensure access to new PV projects in the coming years.
Customers have also already been found in Neumünster and surroundings. Neumünster itself is already prepared to become a green hydrogen center in the region and impact the mobility industry. A large HRS refueling station from Hypion is located close by. "The hydrogen produced in Neumünster contributes to achieving the targets set for reducing CO₂ emissions. The new plant makes it easier to access green hydrogen and, together with the first hydrogen refueling station, will trigger a multidimensional innovation boost by enabling new business areas, raising awareness of new technological possibilities, and creating new personal networks," adds Iris Meyer, Managing Director of the Neumünster Business Agency.
Neumünster is the starting signal. INFENER wants to build hubs throughout Europe (including in Germany, Spain and Norway) and thus make a decisive contribution to decarbonization and to achieving the EU hydrogen strategy, which aims to install electrolysers with a capacity of at least 40 gigawatts by 2030.
