RWE commissions Sunfire for 100 MW alkaline electrolyzer at Lingen green hydrogen plant

German utility RWE announced it has commissioned Sunfire and Bilfinger to build the third phase of the company's 300 MW green hydrogen project, coming up at its gas-fired power plant in Lingen, Germany. 

RWE did not disclose the contract amount, but said it was in the "low hundred-million-euro range". 

According to the agreement, Sunfire will supply a 100 MW alkaline electrolyzer, while Bilfinger will be the solution partner for the integration of electrolysis.

Towards this, Bilfinger will undertake extensive planning and handle the delivery and installation of ancillary systems such as water and hydrogen treatment, compression and control technology.

RWE is building the 300 MW Lingen plant is part of its GET H2 Nukleus project, which involves collaborating with the operators Nowega and OGE to connect its green hydrogen production facilities to industrial consumers in Germany's Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia regions.

The company has already ordered 100 MW of electrolyzer capacity each from Linde Engineering and the ITM Power for the first and second phases of the project. It plans to commission its first 100 MW electrolyzer in 2025, with capacity expanding to 300 MW by 2027.

Dr Sopna Sury, COO Hydrogen at RWE Generation, said in a statement: "The construction work for the first 200 MW of electrolyzer capacity is progressing well. We have now contracted Sunfire and Bilfinger to deliver the elements for the next phase of the project, which is to be commissioned in 2027. This is sending out a strong signal to companies that are planning to switch their processes to green hydrogen."

Nils Aldag, CEO Sunfire, added: "Sunfire is one of the few companies in the world already realising electrolyzers on an industrial scale. With an order backlog of over 800 MW, we are a favoured partner for large-scale projects."

Thomas Schulz, CEO of Bilfinger Group, commented: "The additional electrolysis plant in Lingen is another key building block in the transformation of our energy system towards efficient and sustainable technologies."