The Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park

The Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park innovation project is testing the intelligent, large-scale production of green hydrogen (H₂) from wind power for the first time in Central Germany. Together with our project partners, we want to trial the production, storage, transport and economic use of green H2 under real conditions and on an industrial scale. The Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park is therefore contributing to researching the future green H₂ technology and bringing it to market maturity – for a technologically strong and future-oriented energy and hydrogen economy in Central Germany and successful integration of energy sectors throughout the entire Federal Republic.

Location

Bad Lauchstädt
(Saxony-Anhalt)

Partners

Terrawatt
Uniper Hydrogen
DBI

Quantity

2200-3000t H₂per year
ca. 80-100 GWh

The regulatory sandbox for the energy transition

VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH and the participating project partners are responsible for the generation and distribution of green hydrogen.
To this end, renewable electricity is obtained from the nearby wind farm to produce green hydrogen at the large-scale electrolysis plant. The hydrogen produced is environmentally friendly, easy to store, compensates for fluctuations in solar and wind power and can be used in a variety of ways. In addition to storage and transport of green hydrogen, we develop, analyse and optimise the business to ensure optimum use in local industry and transport.

The project is funded and supported by the BMWi (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) and is a flagship project for best practice in green hydrogen. In September 2021, the collaborative project was awarded state funding as a regulatory sandbox for the energy transition.

The power-to-gas project is supported by experts from the wind industry, gas infrastructure, vehicle transport and chemistry sectors. These include our project partners Terrawatt, Uniper, VNG Gasspeicher GmbH, ONTRAS and VNG AG.

The opportunity to implement a green H₂ value chain on an industrial scale from generation, transport and storage to delivery to the customer is a unique undertaking in the project region around Bad Lauchstädt, which has ideal infrastructural conditions. As the project team of VNG Handel & Vertrieb, we are an integral part of this “regulatory sandbox for the energy transition”. In the emerging hydrogen market ramp-up, we are assuming responsibility for supplying our customers with H₂ and at the same time laying the foundations for the green transformation within VNG Handel & Vertrieb.

Sebastian Pflüger, Senior Project Manager Hydrogen

Which VNG Group companies are involved?

Did you know? Key facts & figures about the project:

> 8 wind turbines with a total rated output of 50 MW (hub height approx. 120-170m) supply the green electricity for electrolysis.

> The large-scale electrolysis plant with a capacity of up to 30 MW covers an area of approx. 80 x 130 metres.

> The H₂ pipeline is an existing natural gas pipeline that is being repurposed for 100% hydrogen transport.

> The H₂ storage volume of the cavern is 50 million Nm³. This corresponds to almost two times the annual green hydrogen production of the electrolyser.

Project website

You can find out more about the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park project from the project website.

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Do you have questions about green issues and projects at VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH? We look forward to hearing from you!

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