The British energy company BP wants to build an electrolysis plant for the production of hydrogen at its refinery in Lingen in Emsland. The system should 2024 go into operation and 50 Bring MW output, according to a notification. The hydrogen is to be generated with the help of electricity from offshore wind farms in the North Sea operated by the Danish company Ørsted.

The plant could generate one tonne of renewable hydrogen per hour, which is used in the refinery to produce fuel. This could replace around 20 percent of the hydrogen currently produced in the refinery from fossil natural gas. In a second phase, the electrolysis in Lingen is to be expanded to 150 MW, writes BP.

500 MW targeted In the long term, BP wants to generate all fossil fuels Replace hydrogen from the Lingen refinery and thus reduce CO 2 emissions in fuel production. If the production of synthetic fuels, for example for aviation, were also added, electrolysis capacities of more than 500 MW could be planned in a further project step in Lingen will.

Infographic about the project in Lingen.

(Image: BP)

The electrolysis system in Lingen should possibly be fully integrated into the refinery processes. This means that in addition to the hydrogen produced, the main by-products oxygen and excess heat should also be made usable.

Ørsted operates four offshore wind farms in the German North Sea. The 231 wind turbines produce a total of more than 1.3 GW of electricity. BP wants to be completely climate neutral by 2050 at the latest. Green hydrogen should play an increasingly important role here.

(anw)