Brussels, 25th of March 2024. EWE and H2eart for Europe announce their new partnership and join forces to support the development of Underground Hydrogen Storage (UHS) technologies across Europe.
The collaboration between EWE and H2eart for Europe comes at a critical moment: European Member States are faced with an increasingly urgent network flexibility challenge caused by important decarbonization efforts and the integration of variably produced Renewable Energy Sources (RES).
EWE and H2eart for Europe commit to leveraging UHS technologies to provide network stability for the European energy system, and to ensure green energy is available on demand. Moreover, both players recognize that there is a significant gap between identified flexibility needs and the current project pipeline for 2030, requiring urgent action.
EWE is a leading player in UHS technologies and investing up to 800 million Euro into the development of a series of promising large-scale hydrogen projects. The energy company brings a wealth of expertise along the entire hydrogen value chain to our alliance. As stated by EWE, hydrogen storage systems play a crucial role in ensuring security of supply and grid stability in a future hydrogen system.
Their first large-scale project in Huntorf (Lower Saxony) is part of the Important Project of Common Interest “Clean Hydrogen Coastline”, with which EWE aims to combine the production, storage, transport and use of green hydrogen. The hydrogen storage facility is set to commission in 2028, boasting an impressive storage size of 70 GWh in a salt cavern – depending on the national pending funding decision and the final investment decision of the EWE committees. By providing a stable supply of on-demand green energy, this transformative project will serve as a catalyst e.g. for carbon-neutral steel production, chemical industry applications and power generation. It is paving the way for a cleaner, more resilient energy future in Europe.
Furthermore, EWE is currently testing the operation of a small cavern in Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg. This R&D project marks a significant milestone to provide the basis for large-scale hydrogen storage projects in the future.
By joining H2eart for Europe, an alliance of leading European UHS players, EWE reaffirms its commitment to driving positive change in the energy sector and playing a leading role in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Peter Schmidt, Managing Director, EWE GASSPEICHER GmbH: “A key challenge in producing hydrogen based on renewable energies is to synchronize the production of and demand for green hydrogen. Hydrogen storage systems can meet this challenge by storing large amounts of energy and making it available at times of low production. As a result, hydrogen storages also play a crucial role in ensuring security of supply and grid stability in a future hydrogen system. With the experience gained from our HyCAVmobil storage research project in Rüdersdorf near Berlin and the planned repurposing of our first cavern in Huntorf, we want to contribute to the H2eart alliance and thus to the development of hydrogen storage capacities in Europe.”
Carole Le Henaff, Co-Chairperson "H2eart for Europe": "H2eart for Europe is honored to welcome EWE as a valuable partner in our efforts to propel underground hydrogen storage solutions forward. Together, we are better equipped to address the flexibility challenges facing the European energy system and pave the way for a cleaner, more secure energy future."
About H2eart for Europe
H2eart for Europe is an EU-wide, CEO-led alliance committed to accelerating the decarbonization of the European energy system at the lowest cost to society by scaling up the deployment of underground hydrogen storage (UHS). Launched in Brussels on 23rd of January 2024, the alliance aims to provide fact-based reports and analysis that can serve policymakers as guidance, and that utilize and build on the experience of our members, leading companies paving the future of hydrogen storage across Europe. We are committed to invest in scaling up UHS infrastructure to meet the flexibility demand in a decarbonized energy system.
