Internet Explorer, Chrome Browser, Firefox Browser, Safari Browser
Press Release25 September 2020Smart InfrastructureZug
Siemens to build large CO2-free hydrogen production plant in southern Germany
Germany has pledged to be greenhouse
gas-neutral by 2050. To this end, all sectors that use energy, such as
transportation and industry, must press ahead with decarbonization. The plant
in Wunsiedel will serve as a model for all of Germany. It will convert the
renewable energy available in this region, e.g., from photovoltaics and wind power,
into storable hydrogen (H2), making it available for applications in
mobility and industry. This is especially useful when, on sunny and windy days,
more energy from renewable sources is produced than needed.
The electrolysis plant will be built in the
Wunsiedel Energy Park next to the Siemens manufactured battery storage facility
already in operation, complementing the forward-looking energy concept. “This
project is another element of a practised, successful technology partnership
between Siemens and SWW Wunsiedel GmbH.
We want to achieve locally already today
what Germany is targeting for 2050, namely a complete energy transition across
all sectors,” stated Uwe Bartmann, CEO of Siemens Germany and CEO of Smart
Infrastructure Regional Solutions & Services Germany.
The project will give the northern Bavaria
region its very own hydrogen source. Until now, gas for end customers had to
travel a relatively long way. The hydrogen will be filled into gas cylinders
for local distribution and shipped by truck to local and regional end
customers, mostly in Upper Franconia, the Upper Palatinate, southern Thuringia
and Saxony, as well as Western Bohemia (Czech Republic). The plant will also
help ease grid bottlenecks and provide flexibility for the grid. A public
hydrogen filling station for trucks and buses may be added later at the same
location to aid the conversion of heavy-duty traffic and public transportation
to CO2-free drive technology.
Reinwald Kleblein (SAG), Roland Schmidt (SAG), Nicolas Lahovnik (Mayor WUN), Marco Krasser (Managing Director SWW Wunsiedel GmbH), Dr. Thilo Rießner (Managing Director WUN H2), Andreas Schmuderer (SAG), Dr. Rainer Saliger (SAG), Dr. Philipp Matthes (Managing Director WUN H2), Dr. Koch (SAG)(from left to right)
“Green” hydrogen – Made in Wunsiedel
When hydrogen is produced from water electrolysis
using only power from renewable energy sources, it is known as “green”
hydrogen. A Silyzer 300 from Siemens Energy will be used in Wunsiedel. The
plant will feature high efficiency at high power density as well as
low-maintenance and reliable operation – without chemicals. The PEM
electrolysis process will be applied, in which electricity is used to split
water into hydrogen and oxygen. The PEM, or proton-exchange membrane, allows
protons to pass through but stops gases such as hydrogen or oxygen. In an
electrolytic process, the membrane functions as a separator, among other
things, and prevents the resulting gases from mixing. Compared to traditional
alkali electrolysis, PEM technology is ideally suited for utilizing fluctuating
wind and solar electricity because of its highly dynamic method of operation.
“For the first time, the oxygen and the low-temperature waste heat generated during production are planned to be reused by nearby industrial operations. This will result in maximum energy efficiency and a plant that is unique because all element flows will be utilized. In addition, electrolysis is an important building block toward implementing the ‘WUNsiedeler Weg – energy’, where we make sustainably energy use and climate protection a reality,” explained Marco Krasser, CEO of SWW Wunsiedel GmbH.
The Energy Park in Wunsiedel
For more information on Hydrogen solutions,
see
https://www.siemens-energy.com/global/en/offerings/renewable-energy/hydrogen-solutions.html
https://www.siemens-energy.com/global/en/offerings/renewable-energy/hydrogen-solutions.html
For this press release
Siemens Smart Infrastructure (SI) is shaping the market for intelligent, adaptive infrastructure for today and the future. It addresses the pressing challenges of urbanization and climate change by connecting energy systems, buildings and industries. SI provides customers with a comprehensive end-to-end portfolio from a single source – with products, systems, solutions and services from the point of power generation all the way to consumption. With an increasingly digitalized ecosystem, it helps customers thrive and communities progress while contributing toward protecting the planet. SI creates environments that care. Siemens Smart Infrastructure has its global headquarters in Zug, Switzerland, and has around 72,000 employees worldwide.
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed companies Siemens Energy, the global energy business of Siemens, and Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the energy systems of today and tomorrow as well as the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (as part of Siemens Energy), Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. In fiscal 2019, which ended on September 30, 2019, Siemens generated revenue of €86.8 billion and net income of €5.6 billion. At the end of September 2019, the company had around 385,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
Contact
Christian S. Wilson
Siemens AG
Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 1
80333 Munich
Germany
80333 Munich
Germany
+49 172 138 5608