RWE's FUREC project, which will produce hydrogen from residues in Limburg, is one of 17 projects selected by the EU Innovation Fund to receive funding.

Under the name FUREC (Fuse Reuse Recycle), RWE wants to produce hydrogen for the chemical industry and help make production processes more sustainable. Residual flows, such as waste from Limburg, serve as a substitute for natural gas in the production of hydrogen. The project contributes to the ambition of the business community, knowledge institutes and the province, among others, to develop Limburg into a circular hub and a hydrogen junction between the Dutch seaports and the German Ruhr area. The project will create direct employment for at least 130 people.

FUREC processes residual waste into raw material pellets, which are then converted at Chemelot into hydrogen, which is supplied to OCI Nitrogen's fertilizer plants. This reduces natural gas consumption at Chemelot by more than 280 million m3 per year, which is comparable to the annual consumption of approximately 200,000 households. FUREC yields a CO2 reduction of approximately 500,000 tons per year. The CO2 released during hydrogen production can be captured and stored in the future, or possibly used as a raw material. In addition to local sales at Chemelot, the hydrogen can also be transported to industry in Rotterdam and the Ruhr area via the (international) hydrogen infrastructure.

With the grant from the EU Innovation Fund, RWE is now developing the project at full speed towards an investment decision and speeding up the necessary permit procedures. In parallel, RWE is developing the installations, working on further sales of the hydrogen and making suitable residual flows available.