Germany – Wintershall Dea and Nord-West Oelleitung (NWO) will work together on the BlueHyNow project.
Wintershall Dea, the largest independent gas and oil producer in Europe, is planning a plant to use Norwegian natural gas to produce large amounts of low-carbon hydrogen. The EnergyHub, currently being built in Wilhelmshaven, includes BlueHyNow. NWO has a site at the Wilhelmshaven deepwater port, experience in the transportation and storage of raw materials, and pipeline infrastructure that is only partially utilized in the area. The two businesses intend to finish a feasibility study by the end of the year after signing a memorandum of understanding on August 2.
On the NWO site in Wilhelmshaven, the possibility of building a hydrogen production facility will be investigated. The generated hydrogen can be piped to industrial customers to be used as a raw material or as a decarbonized energy source, thereby lowering their CO2 emissions.
Increasing demand
One essential element for an energy supply that is climate neutral is hydrogen. But there is a sizable capacity gap in Germany. The demand for hydrogen is expected to increase from 55 TWh/year today to 90-110 TWh/year as early as 2030. The coalition agreement for the German government’s current plans only add about 28 TWh per year and concentrate on hydrogen powered by renewable energy. Herein lies the role of Wintershall Dea. The company wants to use BlueHyNow, which has a 5.6 TWh/year capacity, to aid in the growth of the hydrogen market. The CO2 produced during production will be captured, transported, and permanently stored in deep rock layers beneath the seabed in Norway and Denmark.
