INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology
Siemens commissions one of Germany ’ s largest green hydrogen generation plants
In Wunsiedel , Upper Franconia , one of Germany ’ s largest green hydrogen generation plants has been planned digitally and commissioned by Siemens , demonstrating the key role hydrogen can play in Germany ’ s energy future .
Around one year after the official groundbreaking ceremony , Bavaria ’ s Minister-President Markus Söder , Siemens Managing Board Member , Matthias Rebellius , and Siemens Financial Services CEO , Veronika Bienert , handed over the plant to the operating company , WUN H2 , represented by Managing Directors , Thilo Rießner and Philipp Matthes .
Up to 1,350 tons of green hydrogen can now be generated annually from renewable solar and wind power in the Wunsiedel Energy Park . Hydrogen is generated by an electrolyser – with a total capacity of 8.75 megawatts – from Siemens Energy ’ s latest and most powerful product line .
The ‘ Silyzer 300 ’ is based on proton exchange membrane ( PEM ) technology , which is optimally suited for operation with renewable energies . The hydrogen will be used primarily in the region ’ s industrial and commercial enterprises , but also in road transport .
With this amount of hydrogen , 400 40-ton hydrogen-powered trucks could – assuming a regional distance of 150 kilometres per day – drive for an entire year without emitting any CO 2
. By using the hydrogen generated in Wunsiedel and the related replacement of fossil fuels , annual CO 2 emissions can be cut by up to 13,500 tons .
As general contractor , Siemens Smart Infrastructure is responsible for the construction of the hydrogen plant and the creation of an intelligently monitored and controlled power grid . The customer for green hydrogen is the regional business community – encompassing everything from the glass and ceramics industry to transport companies , automotive suppliers and the neighbouring sawmill .
The hydrogen will be distributed by truck trailers on a decentralised basis to end-customers mainly within a radius of around 150 – 200 kilometres ( Northern Bavaria , Thuringia , Southern Saxony and Western Bohemia ). In addition , following the construction of an H2 filling station at the Wunsiedel Energy Park , scheduled for completion in 2023 , the regional fleet of commercial vehicles can be decarbonised .
“ With global warming , energy dependency and rising costs becoming increasingly pressing issues , real-world solutions for the future of energy are crucial ,” said Matthias Rebellius , Managing Board Member of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure . “ The Wunsiedel project is an excellent demonstration of how vision and initiative combined with the right technology and financing can drive forward the development of a carbon-free power supply .”
Siemens Financial Services is supporting the project with an intelligent financing concept and holds a 45 % stake in the operating company WUN H2 . Rießner-Gase , located in Lichtenfels also holds a 45 % stake and the utility company Stadtwerke Wunsiedel ( SWW ) the remaining 10 %.
“ Future-oriented projects need a solid financing basis ,” said Veronika Bienert , CEO of Siemens Financial Services , the financing arm of Siemens AG . “ In Wunsiedel , we teamed up with an external lender , the UmweltBank in Nuremberg , to implement the first non-recourse project financing – in other words , financing without counter-liability to the shareholders – for such a plant in Germany and thus demonstrate the project ’ s economic feasibility .” p
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