Technology firm Siemens Energy has signed a deal to supply the Hamburg Green Hydrogen Hub (HHGH) with 100MW of electrolyser capacity, for installation next year.
HHGH, which is being developed by asset manager Luxcara and municipal utility Hamburger Energiewerke, had been designated an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) by the EU in February this year, unlocking substantial government support.
In July, the federal government and the city of Hamburg jointly awarded €250m to HGHH, as well as towards the construction of the first 40 km of the “HH-WIN” pipeline network connected to the project.
According to Luxcara, preparatory works have been underway on the site of HGHH — the former Moorburg coal-fired power plant—since autumn 2023, with infrastructure for water treatment kept intact. However, the existing grid connection will be converted and relocated prior to installation of the electrolysers.
Siemens will supply six large-scale proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers, which will be capable of producing up to 10,000 tonnes of H2 a year. PEM electrolysers are generally more expensive than alkaline technologies, but are more suited for operating with intermittent supplies of renewable energy.
These stacks will be manufactured at Siemens’ gigafactory in Berlin, which is part of a 75:25 joint venture with Air Liquide.
The contract with HGHH will also include a ten-year maintenance contract, although neither Siemens nor the development consortium have agreed to disclose the value of the full deal.
These stacks will be manufactured at Siemens’ gigafactory in Berlin, which is part of a 75:25 joint venture with Air Liquide.
The contract with HGHH will also include a ten-year maintenance contract, although neither Siemens nor the development consortium have agreed to disclose the value of the full deal.
“With Siemens Energy, we have gained one of the most experienced suppliers of electrolysers for the production of green hydrogen,” said Holger Matthiesen, project director at Luxcara and one of the managing directors of HGHH.
“Thanks to the selected PEM technology, the proximity to Siemens Energy's Berlin Gigafactory and a dense service network, the HGHH project benefits from high efficiency and availability.”
The order from HGHH marks Siemens’ second from an IPCEI in Germany, having secured a 280MW order from utility EWE for its Clean Hydrogen Coastline project in July this year.
