Energy Firms Bet Big on German Port as Clean Energy Hub

by Vera Eckert (Reuters) Wilhelmshaven to grow beyond first LNG mover status; Firms to spend more than 5 bln euros in 2026-2030; Wintershall Dea plans to spend 1 bln on two projects; Green hydrogen, ammonia targeted to replace fossil fuels; Green energy bonanza could attract other industry

Germany's only deep water port, home to its largest naval base, is where energy firms now plan to spend more than $5.5 billion to help construct the clean energy infrastructure the country needs to help end its reliance on Russian gas.

But with energy firms already looking beyond LNG in efforts to reduce fossil fuel use, the port of Wilhelmshaven on Germany's northern coast is emerging as a hub for the infrastructure which is needed for hydrogen and ammonia imports, hydrogen production and offshore carbon emissions storage.

"We will become the pumping heart of Germany by 2030," said Alexander Leonhardt, who heads the business development agency for Wilhelmshaven, which has a population of 80,000. Challenges to its development include concerns about disturbing wildlife in the sensitive Wadden Sea and the risks of LNG overcapacity.

Uwe Oppitz of Rhenus Ports, who speaks for Energy Hub Port Wilhelmshaven, said that Wintershall Dea (WINT.UL) (BASFn.DE), Uniper (UN01.DE) and Tree Energy Solutions (TES) plan to spend a total of more than 5 billion euros at Wilhelmshaven.

Energy Hub Port Wilhelmshaven comprises 30 companies, which include E.ON (EONGn.DE), RWE (RWEG.DE) and Orsted (ORSTED.CO), as well as Wilhelmshaven's home state of Lower Saxony.

Oppitz said the investment, the magnitude of which has not previously been reported, will be made between 2026 and 2030, adding that the overall figure was disclosed on condition that no breakdown would be published.

TES, which is backed by Belgium private investment firm AtlasInvest, said the total sum was plausible.

Wintershall Dea said it is planning two projects, called BlueHyNow and CO2nnectNow.

"Feasibility studies are currently being prepared for both projects, which will provide further insights into their practicability," the company said in an emailed comment.

"Wintershall Dea plans to invest around 1 billion euros in the Wilhelmshaven site together with its partners," it said.

The investment commitment is raising hopes that money and jobs can be funnelled into what is a relatively weak region economically and that it may even attract some companies to relocate from Germany's industrial heartland in the south.

Planned investments include electrolysis plants that could be scaled up to more than 1 gigawatts (GW) size, Oppitz said.

Wilhelmshaven is not only the landing point for pipelines and vessels, it has a flourishing offshore wind presence and gas storage caverns, while rail links from legacy activities are also a potential draw for new investment.

And while Wintershall Dea will not get involved in LNG, it wants to repurpose some Norwegian pipeline gas imports for hydrogen production, capturing carbon dioxide from the process and exporting it in liquefied form for permanent subsea storage.

Paper maker PKV, a big employer 13 kilometres south of Wilhelmshaven, plans a new factory that working with the port projects could perhaps use waste heat from planned electrolysis plants that produce green hydrogen from renewable electricity.

And steelmaker Salzgitter (SZGG.DE) has already struck a deal with Uniper to receive green hydrogen for its steel mill processes, replacing essential fossil-fuel produced hydrogen.

The Wilhelmshaven business promotion agency estimates that the region could produce more than 30 terawatt hours (TWh) of hydrogen a year from 2030. This alone would represent a quarter of Germany's demand for green hydrogen at that date, namely 95-130 TWh, according to its national hydrogen strategy.

Meanwhile, TES wants to bring renewable methane under the name electric natural gas (e-NG) from solar power made overseas into Wilhelmshaven from 2027. READ MORE

Excerpt from Power Technology: The firms, including steel magnate Salzgitter and the German wing of oil and gas giant BP, announced the deal with the aim of replacing gas-based “grey” hydrogen with solar and wind-based “green” hydrogen in German heavy industry. In Germany, gas distributors Nowega and Thyssengas, oil firm NWO, energy company Uniper will join the group as well as Dutch gas supplier Gasunie.

The project is centred around Germany’s only deep-sea port at Wilhelmshaven. It will see the location become the centre of hydrogen production in the country. Gasunie and Thyssengas have already applied for EU funding to facilitate the construction of a hydrogen link between Wilhelmshaven and Cologne. Several large chemical companies, including INEOS have their German bases in the city, which facilitate easier access to the chemical.

Uniper and BP have also asked the EU about funding for ammonia imports in order to aid the project. Ammonia can act as a carrier for hydrogen that has greater stability and energy-density for easier storage. Nowega and NWO will both contribute existing pipeline infrastructure from their respective grids to the project.

The town too will become the home of a power link to the UK. The link under the North Sea will guarantee the traffic of 1.4GW of electricity. READ MORE