Why hydrogen?
Hydrogen – or H2 as it is also known – is crucial in the energy transition. Why? Because green hydrogen is a clean resource and fuel for energy-intensive processes and also you can store hydrogen so that it is always available. Unlike solar and wind energy, for example.
Green hydrogen
We make hydrogen by means of electrolysis. It is a process which involves splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen which requires electricity and therefore energy. When that energy comes from the sun or wind, the hydrogen produced is described as green. So no CO2 emissions are generated when hydrogen is produced in this way, making it extremely sustainable! Our challenge is therefore to produce hydrogen using the green method.
Pulling out all the stops for hydrogen
At RWE, we are working hard on everything to do with hydrogen: from production and storage to its distribution. For instance, we are building large-scale electrolysers for producing hydrogen and expanding our wind and solar farms to enable those electrolysers to run on green power. We are also working on offshore hydrogen production in the form of the H2opzee project.
Using hydrogen
We mainly use hydrogen in sectors where there are few clean alternatives or none at all, such as heavy industry and fuel production. Here, green hydrogen can replace the fossil fuels or raw materials required for industrial and chemical processes. We also use hydrogen for heavy transport such as aviation and shipping, but as a fuel.
Our contribution to the European objective
Europe’s objective is to have a total electrolysis capacity of 40 gigawatts for the production of green hydrogen by 2030. An ambitious target! We are contributing towards that through our involvement in numerous hydrogen projects and by sharing our expertise. Read more about our projects below!