Hydrogen electrolysis plant with flexible regulation

The plant's centerpiece, a Siemens-built electrolyzer with 5 MW of electric capacity, will produce several hundred tons of hydrogen per year. The hydrogen will not be used to produce energy as usual, but instead will be used as a resource to add value in refinery processes.

By opening the dynamic hydrogen electrolysis plant at its refinery site in Hamburg-Neuhof, H&R Ölwerke Schindler GmbH will be taking a big step toward achieving its "Green Refinery" concept. More than EUR10 million has been invested to build the plant which will generate hydrogen from electricity and water.

"Dynamic" means that the hydrogen electrolysis plant can take advantage of last-minute surges in electricity production, i.e. from wind turbines, to produce hydrogen. Currently, 2% of potential electric power is lost, because Germany occasionally produces more electricity than it consumes. As a result, solar facilities and wind turbines are shut down. In northern Germany, around 15% of potential energy is lost. Hydrogen-generation plants can be used as buffer storage facilities to stabilize grids in periods of high alternative electricity generation. At the same time, the hydrogen produced can be used as "raw material" for refining processes.