Hydrogen Production Facility to be Built in Rostock Overseas Port

Within the next four years, a 100-megawatt production facility for the generation of green hydrogen is to be established at the Rostock Overseas Port on the site of the coal-fired power plant. The electrolysis plant is the centerpiece of the project “HyTech Hafen Rostock,” which has applied for funding under the IPCEI program (Important Project of Common European Interest). A final investment decision has not yet been made and is planned only after receiving the funding notification.

(Rostock) The facility is to be developed and constructed by the rostock EnergyPort cooperation GmbH, a joint venture of EnBW Neue Energien GmbH, RheinEnergie AG, RWE Generation SE, and ROSTOCK PORT GmbH, which was recently founded in the Hanseatic and university city. The four partners each hold nearly 25 percent of the new company. The goal is to establish and expand a sustainable and green production and distribution structure for hydrogen. The electricity required for this will be sourced from renewable energies, such as offshore and onshore wind farms. Annually, up to 6.5 tons of hydrogen are to be produced climate-neutrally at the Rostock Overseas Port, fed into a regional distribution network (hydrogen starter network), and made available to local consumers. The site allows for the expansion of the facility to a capacity of up to 1,000 megawatts and can make a significant contribution to the sustainable energy supply and energy security of Germany. Investments are in the three-digit million range and are to be made with the help of funding.

From Coal to Green Hydrogen

“Together with the participating companies, RheinEnergie is driving the targeted transformation of the Rostock power plant site from coal to green hydrogen. This creates a perspective not only for the site itself but for the entire region. The required amounts of green hydrogen will be made available to all market participants through the newly founded company in the future,” says Dr. Dieter Steinkamp, Chairman of the Board of RheinEnergie AG.

“We see a great opportunity in realizing such a project and subsequently expanding it to transform a coal power plant site into a future-proof energy location in the long term. This also secures jobs locally,” says Rainer Allmannsdörfer, Managing Director of EnBW Neue Energien GmbH, who is also the managing director of the coal power plant.

Decarbonization of the Region

“The successful transformation from fossil energy sources like coal to non-fossil energy sources like hydrogen affects many parts of the port. A consistent entry into the establishment of a hydrogen economy in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will replace fossil energy sources and lead to the decarbonization of the region. As a partner of the joint venture, we want to continue to be a driving force for a climate-friendly and sustainable port economy,” emphasizes Jens Scharner, Managing Director of ROSTOCK PORT.

“The Rostock Overseas Port is an ideal starting point for a hydrogen hub in northeastern Germany. As part of the new consortium, RWE, as a world leader in renewable energies and with its expertise in hydrogen production, is making a significant contribution to the green transformation of the site and the region,” says Sopna Sury, COO Hydrogen RWE Generation.

Photo: © rostock EnergyPort cooperation GmbH