The northern German energy supplier EWE is planning to build one of Europe’s largest hydrogen production plants in the city of Emden (federal state of Lower Saxony) by 2027. EWE has entrusted Stuttgart-based Drees & Sommer SE, a consulting company that specializes in infrastructure, construction and real estate, with the management of the large-scale project.
The consultancy firm is specifically commissioned to handle project steering, approval procedures and engineering management. The planning and consulting company has also supervised the tendering and award of the electrolyzer contract as the main component of the plant.
“I am happy that Drees & Sommer is on board with the project. We can count on the firm as a reliable service provider with many years of experience in managing large-scale projects,” informed Kerstin Kuwan, who is responsible for the project at EWE.
“The project is very complex,” explained Alexander Stubinitzky, Head of Hydrogen and SynFuels at Drees & Sommer. Stubinitzky added, “All trades have to be scaled up, and there are many interfaces that have to be cleanly organized during implementation. The project is extremely demanding in technical terms and with regard to organization and scheduling of time”.
As per the press release, the planned 320-megawatt electrolysis plant in Emden will produce up to 26,000 metric tons of green hydrogen per year for various industrial applications in the region, in particular for the steel industry. The green hydrogen in Emden is mainly produced from wind power.
