With the start of operation of an electrolyzer in Wunsiedel in the Fichtelgebirge mountains and the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of an electrolyzer in Pfeffenhausen as part of the HyPerformer region HyBayern, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) is supporting two pioneer projects for the regional production of green hydrogen.

Dr Volker Wissing, Federal Minister for Digital and Transport:

Green hydrogen provides us with an opportunity of making mobility climate-friendly. By funding two electrolyzers, we are facilitating the production and regional use of green hydrogen in Bavaria. In doing so, we are strengthening regional industry and progressing climate-friendly mobility. The experience in the production, distribution and use of hydrogen gained at regional level will also benefit both national and international future transport projects.

In the last two days, two projects in the area of regional hydrogen production were launched in Bavaria with financial assistance by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

In the town of Wunsiedel in the Fichtelgebirge mountains, the 14th of September saw the start of operations of an electrolyzer funded by the BMDV as part of a project by the town as well as its municipal utility company Stadtwerke SWW Wunsiedel GmbH, the Rießner Gase GmbH company seated in Lichtenfels and Siemens AG. The 1.3 million euro of funding made available by the BMDV covers upgrading the capacity of the existing electrolyzer from 6 to 8.5 megawatts. 2.5 megawatts of the electrolyzer’s capacity are earmarked for hydrogen applications in the transport sector, e.g. for fuel-cell powered HGVs, buses and municipal vehicles.

The hydrogen production plant is converting the region’s renewable energy sources into hydrogen, which is used for various applications in mobility and industry. The power required for production is supplied by certified German green power plants in the surrounding area.

The Wunsiedel region is also one of the hydrogen regions of the BMDV’s HyLand programme. In the first round of the HyLand competition in 2019, it was selected as a HyExpert region and received around 300,000 euros in funding for drawing up a hydrogen strategy.

Ground-breaking ceremony for electrolyzer in the HyPerformer region HyBayern

The ground-breaking ceremony on 15 September marked the start of construction of an electrolyzer for the production of green hydrogen in Pfeffenhausen in the Landshut district.

The electrolyzer is part of the HyPerformer project HyBayern. The districts of Landshut, Ebersberg and Munich were the winners in the HyPerformer category of the first round of the HyLand competition. The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport is supporting the project with up to 20 million euros of investment grants for hydrogen applications in transport. The aim is to work together with public transport operators, energy suppliers, industry, trade and crafts to establish a circular economy of green hydrogen production, hydrogen distribution and hydrogen use in zero-emission hydrogen-powered vehicle fleets.

As part of the component project by the Hy2B Wasserstoff GmbH, the regional hydrogen production in Pfeffenhausen is supported through the construction of an electrolyzer with a compressor and filling station as well as through the purchase of trailers for compressed-gas.

Further information on the Hyland competition and the participating regions can be found at www.hy.land.