ENERTRAG to produce hydrogen at the Osterweddingen industrial park

The operator ENERTRAG, one of the largest renewable energy companies in Germany, will produce hydrogen at the Osterweddingen industrial park, with the electrical energy required for electrolysis coming exclusively from renewable sources. In addition, hydrogen will be fed into ONTRAS' 100% hydrogen pipelines in the medium-term. In the first stage of expansion, around 2 tpd of green hydrogen will initially be produced using a 10 MW PEM electrolyser.

The electrolyser is to be operated in a system-serving manner to compensate for fluctuations in the generation of electricity from wind and sun and thus relieve the power grid. Green hydrogen produced using the electrolyser will be used to decarbonise heavy industry, as a fuel for long-haul transportation, to generate electricity during a 'dunkelflaute' and to feed into hydrogen pipelines. At a later date, there is the possibility of expanding the electrolysis site.

The term 'green hydrogen' is used in this case because the energy required originates exclusively from renewable sources. “ENERTRAG is very proud to accomplish this project, at this great location in the middle of Germany, with many possibilities of deployment, both in industry and in the mobility sector. With this reference plant, we will produce hydrogen from renewable energies on an industrial scale,” says Manuela Blaicher, Head of PtX Project Development at ENERTRAG SE.

For the compression, storage and filling necessary for further utilisation of the hydrogen, ENRTRAG SE has concluded a contract with the companies STREICHER Anlagenbau and NEUMAN & ESSER. The company STREICHER Anlagenbau from Gommern is responsible for the technical and commercial project management, the planning of the overall plant and the coordination of the project partners involved. As a solution provider for sector integration and hydrogen technology located in the industrial park, STREICHER is also responsible for the piping, storage and system completion tasks in this project.

"On the way to the energy transition, this project represents for us another important milestone in the right direction. We are very pleased to be able to contribute with the wide experience of our services portfolio," says Sandra Moder, Managing Director of STREICHER Anlagenbau GmbH & Co. KG.

In addition to direct use of the hydrogen produced in the electrolysis process by local consumers, the gas will be further compressed for transport and storage. The Übach-Palenberg-based supplier of hydrogen solutions, NEUMAN & ESSER, will supply the necessary compressor units and support STREICHER in integrating them into the overall plant. A total of eight diaphragm compressors, in two project phases, will compress the hydrogen for various applications. Four compressors will compress 90 kg of hydrogen per hour to 121 bar(a) for injection into the natural gas grid and another four will compress 45 kg/hr to 501 bar for trailer filling.

"Both the single-stage feed and the two-stage filling compressors are diaphragm compressors of the NEUMAN & ESSER brand Andreas Hofer Hochdrucktechnik, and use the same proven compressor crankcase size. The diaphragm heads are of course adapted to the respective application. In the first project phase, two compressors each will be installed for pipeline feeding and trailer filling," explains Guido Harsch, the responsible Area Sales Manager at NEUMAN & ESSER.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/27022023/enertrag-to-produce-hydrogen-at-the-osterweddingen-industrial-park/