Hesse funds Entega’s hydrogen project

Published by Willow Munz, Editorial Assistant
Global Hydrogen Review, Monday, 23 March 2026 11:00

The production of hydrogen by the green energy and telecommunications service provider Entega on the grounds of the Darmstadt waste incineration plant (MHKW) is now also supported by a grant notification from the state of Hesse.

The state of Hesse is supporting the project with approximately €1.65 million based on the state's guidelines for promoting innovative, intelligent, and green economic transformation in Hesse, using funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF funding guideline 21+). The funding is administered through the Hessian Economic and Infrastructure Bank (WI-Bank).

According to the company, the funding approval is an important signal from the state of Hesse and underscores Entega's active role in driving the energy transition. However, the overarching framework for ramping up the hydrogen economy remains uncertain. While the German government has agreed to establish a nationwide core hydrogen network, it is still unclear to potential customers when they will be connected to such a network, at what price, and in what quantity hydrogen will be available.

The production plant is scheduled to begin regular operation in the first quarter of 2027. The project is also being funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) as part of the DELTA real-world laboratory project.

In the electrolyser, water is split into its components, hydrogen, and oxygen, using renewable electricity. The plant is expected to produce around 310 tpy of green hydrogen, primarily for hydrogen-powered buses. This amount is sufficient to operate approximately 40 buses. Compared to diesel, this will avoid 4000 tpy of CO₂ emissions. The plan is for the hydrogen to be collected by trailers for refuelling at local transport depots.

In 2025, following an EU-wide tender, ENTEGA awarded the contract for the plant's technical components. The contract was awarded to hydrogen plant construction specialist FEST GmbH from Goslar, which will install, among other things, the electrolyser, the compressor, and the hydrogen trailer filling station.

The owner of the waste incineration plant in Darmstadt is the Zweckverband Abfallverwertung Südhessen (ZAS), a regional waste management association. ENTEGA is responsible for its operation.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/23032026/hesse-funds-entegas-hydrogen-project/