Projekt Kategorie Application
H2-Cluster-Heek
The Heek-Epe (HEP) hydrogen pipeline connects the existing pipeline number 13, which is being converted from natural gas to hydrogen transport, with the cavern field in Epe in the district of Borken in North Rhine-Westphalia. The new pipeline has a total length of 11 kilometers and a design pressure of 70 bar. The pipeline construction will connect to RWE Gas Storage West's first hydrogen storage facility in Epe, enabling large-volume hydrogen storage in caverns.
The project is being implemented by OGE (Open Grid Europe) and is part of the development of the core hydrogen infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia. The HEP pipeline forms a central link between the supraregional hydrogen transport network and the local storage infrastructure in Epe.
Once completed, it will create an important infrastructure component for the hydrogen economy in the Münsterland region, ensuring the transport and storage of hydrogen between Heek and Epe.
H2!Academy
The H2!Academy develops practice-oriented training programs for hydrogen transformation in the Emscher-Lippe region at the IHK location in Gelsenkirchen. The educational project is aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises and identifies their training needs through surveys and expert interviews. On this basis, a hydrogen competence model is being developed, which is being tested and further developed in pilot courses.
The North Westphalia Chamber of Industry and Commerce is the project sponsor of the H2!Academy. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project over a period of three years.
The project is currently in the pilot phase at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Gelsenkirchen. The high level of company participation in expert interviews and transfer events demonstrates the need for hydrogen-related training. Increased awareness of renewable energies and hydrogen transformation is resulting in significant CO₂ savings potential.
H2HoWi
The H2 Howi project in Holzwickede, North Rhine-Westphalia, is testing the conversion of existing natural gas pipelines to transport 100 percent hydrogen. The goal is to demonstrate the technical feasibility and legal framework for such a conversion for the first time in Germany, thereby enabling a green application for the existing natural gas network. The project focuses on demonstrating in practice that the existing gas infrastructure in Holzwickede is suitable for transporting pure hydrogen and can thus contribute to the decarbonization of the energy supply.
The project is being carried out by Westenergie and is continuously monitored by scientists. The scientific monitoring documents all technical and regulatory findings that are relevant for future hydrogen projects in the gas network. The H2 Howi project is playing a pioneering role in the development of the hydrogen economy in Germany.
The H2 Howi project was commissioned in October 2022. The project is scheduled to run until December 2026 in order to gain comprehensive long-term experience with the operation of hydrogen in converted natural gas pipelines. The data and findings obtained will serve as the basis for the large-scale transformation of the gas infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia and nationwide.
SALCOS (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking)
Salzgitter AG is converting its steel production at its Salzgitter site in Lower Saxony to hydrogen. The SALCOS® (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking) program prevents the generation of CO2 directly in the production process. The first expansion stage consists of a direct reduction plant with an annual capacity of 2 million tons, an electric arc furnace, and a 100 MW electrolysis plant for hydrogen production on the factory premises.
The IPCEI project is being funded with over one billion euros by the German federal government and the state of Lower Saxony.
Production is scheduled to start in the first half of 2027. In the first step, around one-third of production will be converted to the hydrogen-based process. The complete transformation by 2033 is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by over 95 percent.
H2 Filling Hub Lingen
The H2 Filling Hub Lingen comprises a public hydrogen filling station to supply local businesses and private customers, as well as a non-public trailer filling station to supply customers without a direct pipeline connection at the site of the RWE gas-fired power plant Emsland in Lingen (Ems), Emsland district, Lower Saxony. The facility obtains green hydrogen from RWE's neighboring electrolysis plant and transports it to customers. The public filling station enables hydrogen-powered vehicles to be refueled, while the filling station enables companies to be supplied by tanker trucks.
The project is a partnership between RWE, as the owner of the plant and producer of green hydrogen, and Westfalen AG, as an experienced operator of hydrogen plants. The collaboration combines RWE's expertise in hydrogen production with Westfalen AG's operational experience in the field of hydrogen refueling infrastructure.
Construction work on the H2 Filling Hub Lingen has begun. The filling station and filling station are scheduled to go into operation. The facility will contribute to the development of hydrogen mobility and supply in the Lingen region.
