Germany – Shell Deutschland has taken a Final Investment Decision (FID) to progress REFHYNE II, a 100-megawatt renewable proton-exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen electrolyser at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland. Using renewable electricity, REFHYNE II is expected to produce up to 44,000 kilograms per day of renewable hydrogen to partially decarbonise site operations. The electrolyser is scheduled to begin operating in 2027.
The REFHYNE II project has been enabled by supportive policies, including the European Union’s (EU) binding targets for the use of renewable hydrogen, and the German Federal Government’s regulatory framework. The project has also received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
‘Investing in REFHYNE II is a visible demonstration of our commitment to the hydrogen economy, which will play an important role in helping to decarbonise Shell’s operations and customer products,’ said Shell’s Downstream, Renewables and Energy Solutions Director Huibert Vigeveno. ‘Our decision to invest illustrates what can be achieved with the right enabling conditions to deliver competitive projects.’
REFHYNE II follows the success of the 10-megawatt PEM electrolyser REFHYNE I, which started up in 2021 and uses the same technology. Key project partners for REFHYNE II are ITM Power, Linde, TECNALIA, ETM, SINTEF AS, and CONCAWE.
In the Netherlands, Shell is currently constructing Holland Hydrogen I with a capacity of 200 megawatts, one of Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen plants under construction.
