Wesseling, Cologne-Godorf – The Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland continues its transformation into a production site for _lower -carbon products. The topping-out ceremony for the hydrogen electrolyzer currently under construction in the southern part of the Wesseling plant was recently celebrated. The 100 MW electrolyzer is scheduled to go into operation in 2027. The technology is expected to produce up to 16,000 tons of renewable hydrogen per year (depending on the availability of renewable energy).

• North Rhine-Westphalia State Secretary Paul Höller acknowledges important step towards climate neutrality at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland
• Planned commissioning of the hydrogen production plant during 2027
• Joint project of a consortium with the companies ITM Power, Linde, TECNALIA, ERM, SINTEF AS and CONCAWE as project partners
• Shell is making significant investments in the future of its site in the Rhenish mining region, supported by the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

Investments at the site create opportunities and secure jobs

Paul Höller, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of North Rhine-Westphalia, said: “In North Rhine-Westphalia, the use of green hydrogen in industry is already a reality. With the construction of the electrolyzer here in Wesseling, Shell is focusing on climate-friendly processes and innovative solutions. This is an important step towards greater competitiveness, resilience and sustainability in the chemical industry and a strong commitment to the location and jobs. This clearly demonstrates that North Rhine-Westphalia offers the framework for investments in a future-oriented hydrogen economy that enables new business models and secures industrial value creation.”

Jens Müller-Belau, Energy Transition Manager and member of the Management Board of Deutsche Shell Holding GmbH, emphasized the importance of the project for Shell: “Shell has set itself the goal of becoming a net-zero CO2 company globally by 2050. _The significant investments in the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland demonstrate that we are continuing on our transformation path. We assess investments not only for technical feasibility but also for economic viability – more value with fewer emissions. Such large-scale projects are possible when the framework conditions are right.”

Jan-Peter Groot Wassink, Vice President and Site Manager of the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland, on the advantageous conditions of the project: “Our southern Wesseling site offers excellent conditions for integrating the plant into the existing production operation. We are firmly committed to converting plant by plant, product by product, and thus contributing to offering more climate-friendly alternatives from the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland.”

Together with the 10 MW pilot plant REFHYNE 1, which has been operating since 2021, the two electrolyzers cover approximately ten percent of the annual hydrogen demand for Shell Rheinland's production processes. The use of hydrogen produced using renewable energy enables products with a lower CO₂ _footprint . Both electrolyzers operate using polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) technology.

• The Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland, with its Cologne-Godorf and Wesseling plants, is located in the south of Cologne. Around 1,400 Shell employees and employees of partner companies produce fuels and heating oils (diesel and gasoline, kerosene, heating oil) as well as products for the chemical industry here.
• The hydrogen electrolyzer is one of several transformation projects with which Shell is further developing its Rhineland site. These include, in addition to the production of hydrogen from renewable energy, Germany's largest plant for the production of bio-LNG as a truck fuel (in operation since 2024). This plant produces around 100,000 tons of the lower-CO2 fuel annually from sustainable raw materials such as liquid manure, solid manure, or organic residues, which corresponds to a CO2 reduction of up to 1 million tons.
• With the shutdown of crude oil distillation in the southern part of the Wesseling plant in 2025 and the construction of a base oil plant (planned production start in 2028), Shell is taking further steps towards "More value, fewer emissions".
• The realization of the REFHYNE 2 electrolyzer is a joint project of a consortium led by Shell together with the companies ITM Power, Linde, TECNALIA, ERM, SINTEF AS and CONCAWE as project partners, supported by the EU research and innovation program Horizon 2020.

Source:  Fuel Cells Works