Siemens Commissions One of Germany’s Largest Green Hydrogen Facility

Global RE conglomerate Siemens has said that it has commissioned one of Germany’s largest green hydrogen generation plants in Wunsiedel, Upper Franconia. Bavaria’s Minister-President Markus Söder, Siemens Managing Board member Matthias Rebellius and 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 electrolyzer – with a total capacity of 8.75 megawatts – from Siemens Energy’s latest and most powerful product line. It’s based on proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology.

Siemens statement read that the hydrogen will be used primarily in the region’s industrial and commercial enterprises, but also in road transport. By using the hydrogen generated in Wunsiedel and the related replacement of fossil fuels, annual CO2 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 neighboring sawmill.

The hydrogen will be distributed by truck trailers on a decentralized basis to end customers mainly within a radius of around 150 to 200 kilometers (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 decarbonized.

Matthias Rebellius, CEO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure, held, “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 and holds a 45 percent stake in the operating company WUN H2.

Siemens also said that with the commissioning of the hydrogen generation plant, the commercial production of the energy source H2 in Wunsiedel will begin. Talks regarding the expansion of the plant’s capacity to 17.5 megawatts are already underway.