A 1GW green hydrogen project in the Danish port city of Esbjerg has received environmental approval, taking it a step closer to final investment decision (FID).
H2 Energy, the power plant’s developer, plans to install 50 solid polymer exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers supplied by US manufacturer Plug Power and begin operations in the second half of 2025.
Assuming 5,000 production hours per year, H2 Energy expects to produce approximately 90,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year.
H2 Energy has cited the Esbjerg site’s proximity to offshore wind farms as an advantage, but has not disclosed exactly how it will source the electricity to power its green hydrogen plant. However, a 400kV ground cable will be constructed to connect the project to the power plant. Endrup substation.
However, according to the environmental impact report, H2 Nothing produced in Esbjerg is used within the city.
Instead, it is sent in pipes to the village of Egtved, and then to a distribution hub in Taurov, Fredericia, about 80 kilometers from the production area. There, H2 Energy’s hydrogen is fed into pipelines to meet industrial demand or compressed for use as a transportation fuel.
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H2 Energy, which is majority-owned by commodity trader Trafigura, announced a partnership with oil company Phillips 66 in 2022 to develop a network of up to 250 petrol stations in Denmark, Austria and Germany, but the companies have agreed to He has remained silent on the matter. Initiatives since then.
The Esbjerg facility will be built without subsidies, but H2 Energy acknowledged at the time that its refueling network with Phillips 66 would depend on government support.
H2 Energy estimates that the Esbjerg facility will consume 1 million cubic meters of water per year, which will be supplied by utility company DIN Forsyning’s wastewater treatment plant in Esbjerg.
“This will significantly reduce the strain on drinking water and groundwater resources, further advancing our mission towards sustainable development,” said Mark Pedersen, Operations Manager at H2 Energy Europe. .
The facility will also supply waste heat to Esbjerg’s district heating network.
“The environmental approval for H2 Energy Europe’s upcoming hydrogen plant is of great importance for Esbjerg and positions Esbjerg as one of Europe’s leading green business cities,” said Mayor Jesper Frost Rasmussen.
But he said “clarification is still needed” regarding the exact location of the planned hydrogen pipeline, which will reach Germany and is expected to begin operations in 2028.