German energy company RWE has officially commenced the technical commissioning of the first 100-megawatt (MW) phase of its “GET H2 Nukleus” project at the Emsland gas-fired power plant.
The milestone marks the shift from construction to active testing for what will be the largest operational Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis facility in Europe upon its expected commercial start in early 2026.
Industrial scale and offtake maturity:
The project utilizes high-efficiency PEM electrolyzers from the Linde/ITM Power consortium. RWE’s strategy of ordering “long-lead items” as early as 2022, even before government funding was finalized, has allowed the company to move faster than most competitors. This technical readiness was pivotal in securing a 15-year supply agreement with TotalEnergies to deliver 30,000 metric tons of green hydrogen annually to the Leuna refinery starting in 2030.
Leadership perspectives:
Sopna Sury, COO Hydrogen, RWE Generation SE, said, “The maturity of both the GET H2 Nukleus in Lingen and the hydrogen storage in Epe enabled us to negotiate a 15-year offtake agreement with TotalEnergies. By ordering long-lead items early, we ensured we could move forward despite broader market uncertainties.”
She said that the construction for the first 200 MW is progressing well, with the next 100 MW phase—utilizing Sunfire’s alkaline technology—already contracted for a 2027 commissioning.
Future-proofing the hydrogen grid:
The Lingen plant is a central building block of Germany’s core hydrogen grid. To ensure a steady supply regardless of wind or solar availability, RWE will link the facility to its hydrogen salt cavern storage in Gronau-Epe, which is scheduled to go online in 2027.
Once the full 300 MW capacity is reached, the facility will significantly eclipse current continental leaders, such as BASF’s 54 MW plant, providing a template for large-scale industrial decarbonization across the European Union.
