Hydrogen Lighthouse Project Bad Lauchstädt: Uniper Orders Sunfire Electrolyzer
Dresden / Düsseldorf, August 4, 2022
Within the Central German Chemical Triangle, energy company Uniper is implementing green hydrogen technologies on an industrial scale. In Bad Lauchstädt, Sunfire will supply the core piece of a demonstration project: a 30 megawatt (MW) pressurized alkaline electrolyzer.
The Bad Lauchstädt energy park, one of the pioneering projects of the energy transition, is entering the execution phase. Uniper has ordered a 30 MW pressurized alkaline electrolyzer from the Dresden-based electrolysis company Sunfire. Its delivery is scheduled for 2024.
The project will realize the production, transport, storage, and economic use of green hydrogen on an industrial scale in Saxony-Anhalt, showcasing new solutions for the future energy infrastructure. Together with its project partners, Uniper is helping to create value and jobs in the region affected by structural change.
Sunfire CEO Nils Aldag says: "With this significant new order, we are making an important contribution to the successful ramp-up of the hydrogen economy as well as to the transformation of the chemical industry in Germany. We are happy to partner with Uniper to further scale up hydrogen production."
The hydrogen project is not only unique for the Central German region – it is also an important step for ramping up the hydrogen economy throughout Europe. "The Bad Lauchstädt energy park covers the entire value chain including the production, transport, storage, distribution and use of green hydrogen. With Sunfire, we have found the ideal partner for realizing the central pillar of the project. Together, we will drive forward the local energy transition," says Axel Wietfeld, CEO Hydrogen at Uniper. Furthermore, green hydrogen is a promising solution for ensuring a future energy supply that is independent of Russian gas imports.
Sunfire's 30 MW electrolysis plant is currently one of the largest planned systems of its kind. At the energy park in Bad Lauchstädt, the electrolyzer will produce green hydrogen with renewable electricity from a nearby wind farm. In a second phase of the project, the hydrogen produced can be temporarily stored in a specially equipped salt cavern. Afterwards, it will be fed into the local chemical industries’ hydrogen network via a repurposed gas pipeline. In the future, it will also be used in urban mobility solutions, for example in hydrogen-powered buses.
Sunfire has already proven its high-performing pressurized alkaline technology in numerous projects. With its electrolysis solutions, Sunfire helps industrial companies and utilities to save fossil fuels and CO2 emissions in the long term. To meet the high demand in the market, the Dresden-based company is currently industrializing its electrolyzer production. Just recently, Sunfire received a funding commitment from the federal government and the EU as part of the „Important Projects of Common European Interest“ (IPCEI) to scale its hydrogen technologies.
For more information about the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park, go to: energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de.
Image: © Uniper Falkenhagen
