RWE has started commissioning the largest renewable hydrogen plant in Europe in Lingen, Germany. This goes on to mark the first phase of the GET H2 Nukleus project, which is planned in order to reach an overall capacity of 300 megawatts – MW.
The initial 100 MW electrolyser, which is already going through technical testing, is anticipated to start commercial operations in 2026.
The output of the plant is going to be transported to the Leuna refinery, which is operated by TotalEnergies and located in eastern Germany, via a 600-kilometer pipeline, which is going to form a part of the future core hydrogen network of the country and is at present under construction. The supply agreement between both RWE and TotalEnergies goes on to cover a yearly delivery of 30,000 tonnes of green hydrogen beginning in 2030 as per a 15-year offtake contract.
This volume is intended to go ahead and replace the fossil-based hydrogen, which is at present used within the fuel production processes. In order to make sure of a stable delivery during periods of low solar as well as wind availability, RWE is going to depend on underground storage capacity in Gronau-Epe, which is most likely to come online in 2027.
RWE went on to place initial equipment orders in 2022, before receiving the public funding commitments. The first two 100 MW electrolysers went on to be ordered from the Linde/ITM Power consortium, whereas the third, based upon alkaline technology, was ordered from Sunfire, the German manufacturer.
This strategy enabled the company to speed up its project timeline, with the complete 300 MW capacity in Lingen anticipated to be operational in 2027. At that point, the plant is most likely to significantly go beyond the other ongoing projects based in Europe, including the likes of the 54 MW electrolyser from BASF that was commissioned in Ludwigshafen in March 2025.
The cost when it comes to producing EU-compliant green hydrogen through the alkaline electrolysis in Germany, based upon the renewable power purchase agreements, was evaluated at EUR7.54/kg, equivalent to $8.86/kg in mid-December 2025. This pricing underscores the economic barriers facing the sector, in spite of the commitment concerning large-scale developments like the Lingen project.
As per RWE, the technical maturity when it comes to the GET H2 Nukleus project, the largest renewable hydrogen plant in Europe along with the associated storage site has helped the company to go ahead and secure a long-term agreement with TotalEnergies as per favorable conditions.