German chemicals giant BASF has commissioned Europe’s largest green hydrogen project at its Ludwigshafen complex in southwest Germany.
The 54MW PEM electrolyser supplied by Siemens Energy has more than twice the capacity of Yara’s 24MW PEM electrolyser in Norway, which previously held the title for Europe’s largest completed green hydrogen project.
BASF’s renewables-powered electrolyser is also slightly larger than the 52.5MW of electrolyser capacity — also supplied by Siemens Energy — to European Energy’s Kassø project in Denmark, which is currently in the process of being commissioned.
The Ludwigshafen project had been designated an Important Project of Common European Interest, which unlocked €124.3m in funding from the German government and state of Rhineland-Platinate. BASF itself invested €25m into the plant.
The German firm plans to use most of the 8,000 tonnes of green H2 produced per year to displace grey hydrogen consumed at Ludwigshafen to make ammonia, methanol, and vitamins.
However, BASF currently produces around 250,000 tonnes of hydrogen at its Ludwigshafen site — either from unabated fossil gas or as a by-product from its other chemical processes — meaning that the green hydrogen produced by the 54MW electrolyser would only decarbonise 3.2% of its existing consumption.
“The commissioning of the electrolyzer makes it possible for us to support our customers in achieving their climate targets by offering them products with a lower carbon footprint,” said Katja Scharpwinkel, site director for Ludwigshafen and a member of the BASF board.
She added that operating the 54MW project would also give the company further experience ahead of transforming the entire Ludwigshafen site.
The chemicals producer also plans to supply some volumes of H2 for hydrogen-powered transport in the wider Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, which includes the cities of Mannheim and Heidelberg.
BASF confirms to Hydrogen Insight that it is using renewable power purchase agreements to cover the electricity supply for the project.
