BASF has inaugurated the largest proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser in Germany at its Ludwigshafen site.
With a connected load of 54 MW and 72 electrolysis stacks provided by Siemens Energy, this facility can produce up to one metric tonne of zero‑carbon hydrogen per hour, equating to approximately 8,000 tonnes per year. This hydrogen feeds directly into BASF’s existing hydrogen Verbund network, supplying chemical production processes and, in the future, mobility use in the Rhine‑Neckar region.
The electrolyser is a key part of BASF’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions by around 72,000 tonnes annually, replacing grey hydrogen in the production of ammonia, methanol, vitamins, and other chemicals.
Other Major Green‑Hydrogen Electrolysers in Germany
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RWE’s Lingen Complex (Emsland)
RWE is constructing a 300 MW PEM electrolyser facility near Lingen, comprising multiple large-scale units, with full operation expected by 2027.
Off‑taker: In a landmark deal, TotalEnergies will receive around 30,000 tonnes annually from 2030 to 2044 to feed its Leuna refinery in eastern Germany, transported via Germany’s hydrogen core network.
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VNG / EnBW Plant at Bad Lauchstädt
VNG, majority-owned by utility EnBW, is scheduled to begin test operations in Q3 2025 of a 30 MW electrolyser plant in Saxony‑Anhalt.
Leuna chemicals‑oil complex, with TotalEnergies as anchor customer.
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ENERTRAG’s Electrolysis Corridor, Eastern Germany
ENERTRAG is developing a network of projects, including a 10 MW PEM electrolyser in Osterweddingen near Magdeburg, to serve local industries. Several larger planned facilities (e.g. 60 MW at Pasewalk, 240 MW at Anklam) are part of the corridor, though not yet operational.
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Shell / ITM‑Power REFHYNE Projects
- REFHYNE I: Operational since mid‑2021, this was Europe’s first refinery‑scale PEM electrolyser at Shell’s energy & chemicals park in Wesseling, Germany, with 10 MW capacity.
- REFHYNE II: A planned 100 MW electrolyser, expected to be commissioned between 2025 and 2026, pending final investment decisions. It uses ITM Power’s TRIDENT stacks reserved under an agreement with Shell Deutschland.
Summary Table
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Project
|
Location
|
Capacity
|
Off‑taker(s)
|
Status / Operation
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BASF Ludwigshafen | Ludwigshafen, Rhineland‑Palatinate | 54 MW | BASF internal Verbund; regional mobility | Operational (March 2025) |
| RWE Lingen (Emsland) | Lingen, Lower Saxony | 300 MW | TotalEnergies (Leuna refinery) | From ~2027 |
| VNG / EnBW Bad Lauchstädt | Saxony‑Anhalt | 30 MW | TotalEnergies (Leuna chemicals park) | Test from Q3 2025 |
| ENERTRAG corridor | Osterweddingen (Magdeburg) + elsewhere | 10 MW initial (100s MW planned) | Local industries | Under construction (2025+) |
| Shell REFHYNE I | Wesseling (Rheinland) | 10 MW | Shell (hydrogen for refinery) | Operational since mid‑2021 |
| Shell REFHYNE II | Wesseling (planned) | 100 MW | Shell Deutschland | From 2025–26 (pending FID) |
Market Context & Outlook
Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy targets 10 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030, with 5 GW domestic and another 5 GW in store for the early 2030s. The country is aligning public funding, industry partnerships and pipeline infrastructure to meet these ambitions. For example, RWE’s €30,000‑tonne annual hydrogen deal with TotalEnergies is the largest such contract to date, highlighting the rise of long‑term offtake agreements in the sector.
Utilities like RWE and EnBW, chemicals giants like BASF, and oil firms like Shell and TotalEnergies are emerging as key players in Germany’s hydrogen transition. Meanwhile, technology providers such as ITM Power support these projects with advanced PEM stacks and modular electrolyser systems.
Germany’s drive to reduce carbon intensity in heavy industry, coupled with hydrogen import strategies and planned pipeline development, positions it as one of Europe’s hydrogen leaders.
Outlook
- Electrolyser capacity growth: From single‑digit MW projects in 2021 (REFHYNE I) to multi‑site, multi‑hundred‑MW installations by the late 2020s.
- Strategic offtakes: Early anchor customers are predominantly domestic industrial users—refineries, chemicals parks, steel producers—and BASF’s internal Verbund system.
- Policy alignment: Massive public funding and industrial coordination are accelerating roll‑out.
Finally: BASF’s Ludwigshafen commissioning is a landmark step for German hydrogen. It joins a growing roster of projects, RWE, VNG, ENERTRAG, Shell/ITM Power, with substantial offtake deals securing demand and underpinning the hydrogen economy’s industrial scale‑up.
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