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Press Release14 September 2022Siemens AGWunsiedel
Siemens commissions one of Germany’s largest green hydrogen generation plants
Official commissioning of one of Germany's largest hydrogen generation plants: Siemens CEO Matthias Rebellius, Siemens Germany CEO Uwe Bartmann and project manager Andreas Schmuderer symbolically hand over water bottles to the two managing directors of the operating company WUN H2, Thilo Rießner and Philipp Matthes, and Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder. In picture from left: Philipp Matthes, Uwe Bartmann, Andreas Schmuderer, Marko Krasser, Managing Director SWW Wunsiedel, Thilo Rießner, Matthias Rebellius, Veronika Bienert, CEO Siemens Financial Services, Minister President Markus Söder and Mayor Nikolas Lahovnic.
Up to 1,350 tons of green hydrogen can now be
generated annually from renewable solar and wind power in the Wunsiedel Energy
Park. Hydrogen is generated by an electrolyzer – with a total capacity of 8.75
megawatts – from Siemens Energy’s latest and most powerful product line. The
“Silyzer 300” is based on proton
exchange membrane (PEM) technology, which is optimally suited for operation
with renewable energies. The hydrogen will be used primarily in the region’s industrial
and commercial enterprises, but also in road transport. With this amount of
hydrogen, 400 40-ton hydrogen-powered trucks could – assuming a regional
distance of 150 kilometers per day – drive for an entire year without emitting
any CO2. By using the hydrogen generated in Wunsiedel and the
related replacement of fossil fuels, annual CO2 emissions can be cut
by up to 13,500 tons.
As general contractor, Siemens
Smart Infrastructure is responsible for the construction of the hydrogen plant
and the creation of an intelligently monitored and controlled power grid. The customer for green hydrogen is
the regional business community – encompassing everything
from the glass and ceramics industry to transport companies, automotive
suppliers and the neighboring sawmill. The hydrogen will be distributed by truck
trailers on a decentralized basis to end customers mainly within a radius of around
150 to 200 kilometers (Northern Bavaria, Thuringia, Southern Saxony and Western
Bohemia). In addition, following the construction of an H2 filling
station at the Wunsiedel Energy Park, scheduled for completion in 2023, the regional
fleet of commercial vehicles can be decarbonized.
“With global warming, energy dependency and
rising costs becoming increasingly pressing issues, real-world solutions for
the future of energy are crucial,” said Matthias Rebellius, Managing Board Member of Siemens AG
and CEO of Smart Infrastructure. “The Wunsiedel project is an excellent
demonstration of how vision and initiative combined with the right technology
and financing can drive forward the development of a carbon-free power supply.”
Siemens Financial Services is
supporting the project with an intelligent financing concept and holds a 45
percent stake in the operating company WUN H2. Rießner-Gase, located in
Lichtenfels also holds a 45 percent stake and the utility company Stadtwerke
Wunsiedel (SWW) the remaining 10 percent.
“Future-oriented
projects need a solid financing basis,” said Veronika Bienert, CEO of
Siemens Financial Services, the financing arm of Siemens AG. “In Wunsiedel,
we teamed up with an external lender, the UmweltBank in Nuremberg, to implement
the first non-recourse project financing – in other words, financing without
counter-liability to the shareholders – for such a plant in Germany and thus
demonstrate the project’s economic feasibility.”
In Wunsiedel,
the energy transition is already a reality. The energy used by the community of
10,000 is 100 percent climate neutral. Wunsiedel also generates its own
electricity and heating. The hydrogen generation plant will be linked to
Siemens’ existing battery storage facility and with neighboring industrial
enterprises, which can use – for example – its waste heat
or the oxygen split off during electrolysis. Hydrogen also plays a major role in Germany’s
decarbonization strategy to make transportation, steel production and the chemical
industry carbon-neutral, since it can be used to implement many processes
previously dependent on fossil fuels, without releasing CO2 in the
reconversion into energy. Hydrogen is also an important storage provider for renewable
energies. By 2030, 10 million tons of green hydrogen are to be generated annually
in the European Union alone.
With the
commissioning of the hydrogen generation plant, the commercial production of
the energy source H2 in Wunsiedel will begin. Talks regarding the
expansion of the plant’s capacity to 17.5 megawatts are already underway.
Further
information on Smart Infrastructure is available at
www.siemens.com/smart-infrastructure
www.siemens.com/smart-infrastructure
Further information on Siemens Financial
Services is available at
www.siemens.com/finance
www.siemens.com/finance
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Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, the company creates technology with purpose adding real value for customers. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers its customers to transform their industries and markets, helping them to transform the everyday for billions of people. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a globally leading medical technology provider shaping the future of healthcare. In addition, Siemens holds a minority stake in Siemens Energy, a global leader in the transmission and generation of electrical power.
In fiscal 2021, which ended on September 30, 2021, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €62.3 billion and net income of €6.7 billion. As of September 30, 2021, the company had around 303,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
In fiscal 2021, which ended on September 30, 2021, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €62.3 billion and net income of €6.7 billion. As of September 30, 2021, the company had around 303,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.
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. As of September 30, 2021, the business had around 70,400 employees worldwide.
Siemens Financial Services (SFS) – the B2B financing arm of Siemens – provides financing that makes a difference. At SFS, we empower customers around the globe to access technology with purpose and increase their competitiveness. Based on our unique combination of financial expertise, risk management and industry know-how we provide tailored financing solutions – including flexible leasing and working capital products, project-related and structured financing, corporate lending, equity investments, finance advisory, as well as trade and receivables financing. With highly experienced and passionate teams in 20+ countries, SFS paves the way for industrial productivity, smart infrastructure and sustainable mobility, facilitating the energy transition and enabling high-quality healthcare. Supporting the Siemens DEGREE framework, SFS is one of the leading providers in financing greenfield renewable projects.
www.siemens.com/finance.
Reference Number: HQCOPR202209076540EN