Page 11 - EurOil Week 27 2021

EurOil ENERGY TRANSITION EurOil

Shell launches Europe’s biggest

green hydrogen electrolyser

GERMANY ROYAL Dutch Shell has commissioned Europe’s part of its future net-zero energy mix, har-
biggest polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) nessing the country’s substantial renewable
The facility’s initial electrolyser for developing green hydrogen, the power potential to decarbonise energy-inten-
capacity is 10 MW company announced on July 2. sive industries like those found in the North
but could be upscaled The Refhyne electrolyser at Shell’s energy Rhine-Westphalia region where Shell’s plant is
to 100 MW at a later and chemicals park in Germany’s Rheinland located. Other European countries favour blue
stage. region has a 10-MW capacity but this is set to be hydrogen, produced from gas using reforming,
expanded to 100 MW at a later stage. It will use with CO2 emissions from process captured
renewable energy to produce up to 1,300 tonnes and stored. But Germany has concluded that
per year (tpy) of green hydrogen that can be used it lacks the geological conditions to store the
to produce fuels with a lower carbon intensity, CO2 safely.
and later help decarbonise other industries, Shell “We are a hydrogen region. With the commis-
said. sioning of the largest PEM electrolysis plant in
“This project demonstrates a new kind of Europe, we are further expanding our role in this
energy future and a model of lower-carbon field,” North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-Presi-
energy production that can be replicated world- dent Armin Laschetsaid commented.
wide,” Shell’s downstream director, Huibert North Rhine-Westphalia already accounts for
Vigeveno, announced at an opening ceremony. 30% of hydrogen demand in Germany, he said,
“Shell wants to become a leading supplier of estimating that this could double by 2030.
green hydrogen for industrial and transport cus- “This is why we need innovative solutions
tomers in Germany. We will be involved in the that will meet the demand for CO2-neutral
whole process – from power generation, using hydrogen,” he continued. “Projects such as Ref-
offshore wind, to hydrogen production and dis- hyne demonstrate how innovation can benefit
tribution across sectors.” both the environment and the economy.”
Shell, like many of its peers, is striving to Shell developed the Refhyne facility in part-
become a net-zero emissions company by 2050. nership with ITM Power, Sintef, Sphera and
But its already ambitious targets have been Element Energy. The unit was manufactured by
deemed insufficient under a recent landmark ITM Power in Sheffield in the UK, while vari-
ruling by a Dutch court. The Anglo-Dutch has ous parts came from Italy, Sweden, Spain and
since vowed to accelerate its energy transition Germany.
strategy. The project’s cost was €20mn ($24mn), of
Germany sees green hydrogen as an integral which half was covered by EU grants. ™

Week 27 08•July•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P11