In Cuxhaven, green hydrogen for shipping is produced

Cuxhaven, 15 November 2023. H2Move - under this name, the energy transition through green hydrogen has now literally picked up speed in Cuxhaven. Since Wednesday, a two-megawatt elec-trolysis plant operated by Turneo GmbH, a joint venture between Hamburg-based Karlsson GmbH and the energy service provider EWE, has been producing green hydrogen in Cuxhaven, supplying the fuel for the first of four supply vessels in the Mittelplate fleet of the energy company Winter-shall Dea. The ship transports people and material between Cuxhaven and the Mittelplate drilling and production platform. The Mittelplate deposit is by far the most important oil deposit in Ger-many and is located at a depth of 2,000 to 3,000 metres under the North Sea on the southern edge of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park.

The official commissioning of the electrolysis plant and the ship Coastal Liberty, which has been converted to hydrogen hybrid propulsion, was attended by, among others, Turneo Managing Director Jochen Kaufholt, Tobias Moldenhauer, Head of Hydrogen at EWE, Robert Frimpong, Head of Wintershall Dea Germany, Cuxhaven's Lord Mayor Uwe Santjer and Lower Saxony's Minister of Economic Affairs Olaf Lies.

In the future, the plant will also produce hydrogen for other ships and a hydrogen filling station in Cuxhaven. The electrolysis plant thus also lays the foundation for land-based hydrogen mobility in Cuxhaven. The fact that the commissioning of the electrolyser went so smoothly is not least due to the trusting and cooperative partnership with Wintershall Dea, emphasizes Jochen Kaufholt. The Turneo managing director is also pleased about the political tailwind and the support of the city of Cuxhaven. "I think this is a good day for the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy in Germany and thus for climate protection," Jochen Kaufholt sums up.

The development of a hydrogen economy plays a central role in achieving the goal of a climate-neutral Germany, because the conversion of fluctuating renewable energies into hydrogen creates the possibility of making green energy available on demand. Hydrogen is therefore an indispensa-ble component for achieving climate targets and for coupling the three sectors of electricity, mobili-ty and industry. EWE is therefore working with partners to promote the market entry of green hy-drogen. "The project here is a good example of the regional production of hydrogen and its applica-tion in the mobility sector and especially in the maritime sector," explains Tobias Moldenhauer.

Robert Frimpong, Head of Wintershall Dea Germany, agrees with Moldenhauer and underlines the importance of the joint project for the environment: "We are reducing our ecological footprint and will be able to sail through the Wadden Sea emission-free and much quieter in the future." The conversion of the supply ship Coastal Liberty to the environmentally friendly propulsion technology hydrogen is another important step towards the protection of the national park and World Herit-age Site. "Many thanks to everyone who has paved the way for technological progress with their innovative spirit in this project. Pioneers and first examples of concrete applications are paving the way for a climate-friendly future," says Frimpong.

The hydrogen produced on land in Cuxhaven is transported in so-called tank trailers to the Mit-telplate ship Coastal Liberty, where it is converted into electricity by means of a fuel cell. The elec-tricity is stored in batteries that power the ship's electric motor. "We are convinced that the innova-tive technology will prove its worth and that we will be able to reduce emissions in the Wadden Sea as much as possible," explains Martin Buttchereit, project manager at Wintershall Dea Germany, and thanks the shipping company Acta Marine for the professional conversion of the Coastal Liberty.

Lower Saxony's Minister of Economic Affairs, Olaf Lies, explains: "For the successful ramp-up of our hydrogen economy, we must now invest in the development of the market. This means that we need reliable producers and buyers of hydrogen. And that requires innovative companies that boldly invest in the future. Turneo, EWE and Wintershall Dea are precisely such companies that are shaping the transformation process towards renewable energy sources."