Air Liquide has announced that it plans to build a 30MW electrolyser for the production of green hydrogen in Oberhausen in Germany.

The energy company will partner with Siemens for the project and use funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy.

Air Liquide is investing €8 billion ($9.4 billion) in the low-carbon hydrogen value chain by 2035, and a total of 3GW electrolysis capacity by 2030.

The Proton-Exchange Membrane electrolyser is set to be operational by 2023 with a capacity of 20MW before being expanded to 30MW. The electrolyser will be integrated into Air Liquide’s existing local pipeline infrastructure to supply key industries and mobility with renewable hydrogen in one of the most industrialized regions of Germany.

The project will be the first large-scale renewable hydrogen production connected to both existing hydrogen and oxygen pipelines to support sectors such as Steel, Chemicals, Refining, and Mobility in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics, said: “With the National Hydrogen Strategy we have taken a decisive step towards the further development of the energy transition.

“At the same time, the market ramp-up of the H2 economy offers great economic opportunities, especially after the impact of the Corona Pandemic. The Ministry of Economics has therefore been working at full speed for a year to create the regulatory and legal framework. Now we need concrete and ambitious projects.

“The project of Air Liquide in Germany has a showcase character in this context. It demonstrates how “green” hydrogen can be used to sustainably transform industry as well as certain transport sectors. At the same time, the project is a strong signal for the positioning of the Rhine-Ruhr region in the hydrogen sector.”