It looks like you are using a browser that is not fully supported. Please note that there might be constraints on site display and
usability.
For the best experience we suggest that you download the newest version of a supported browser:
Siemens Energy to start production of hydrogen electrolyzers in Berlin
Industrial-scale production of electrolyzers
for green hydrogen
In 2023 start of the first Gigawatt production
at the multi-Gigawatt factory
Siemens Energy will
locate the industrial production of electrolysis modules in Berlin and is thus
taking the centerpiece of its hydrogen technology to the capital. Start of
production at the location Huttenstrasse in Berlin’s Moabit locality is
scheduled for 2023. At this site the complete infrastructure of an existing production
hall can be used. New production lines for the electrolyzers are being set up
on 2,000 square meters at a cost of around 30 million euros. Today, the site
mainly manufactures gas turbines, which are among the most powerful and
efficient in the world. These can already be operated with up to 50 percent
hydrogen, and by 2030 complete hydrogen operation should be possible. Siemens
Energy is now pooling its expertise in both these areas in Berlin to ensure a
reliable and successful energy transition to a new energy mix. This also
includes the business field of energy transmission: At the Siemens Energy Switchgear
Plant Berlin innovative high voltage products are manufactured, ensuring that
electricity reaches consumers reliably.
Industrial-scale production of electrolyzers
for green hydrogen
In 2023 start of the first Gigawatt production
at the multi-Gigawatt factory
Siemens Energy will
locate the industrial production of electrolysis modules in Berlin and is thus
taking the centerpiece of its hydrogen technology to the capital. Start of
production at the location Huttenstrasse in Berlin’s Moabit locality is
scheduled for 2023. At this site the complete infrastructure of an existing production
hall can be used. New production lines for the electrolyzers are being set up
on 2,000 square meters at a cost of around 30 million euros. Today, the site
mainly manufactures gas turbines, which are among the most powerful and
efficient in the world. These can already be operated with up to 50 percent
hydrogen, and by 2030 complete hydrogen operation should be possible. Siemens
Energy is now pooling its expertise in both these areas in Berlin to ensure a
reliable and successful energy transition to a new energy mix. This also
includes the business field of energy transmission: At the Siemens Energy Switchgear
Plant Berlin innovative high voltage products are manufactured, ensuring that
electricity reaches consumers reliably.
Thomas Bagus (left) will head industrial production of the electrolyzers at Siemens Energy in Berlin. He and his team are currently planning the final details for setting up the production hall at the site in Berlin. Production is scheduled to start in 2023.
Christian Bruch,
President and CEO of Siemens Energy, comments: “With the new production
facility for hydrogen electrolyzers, we are reinforcing our claim to play an
active role in shaping the energy transition. To this end, we are pooling our
knowledge in the field of various energy technologies in Berlin. For us,
hydrogen is an important component of the future energy world. For this to be
economically viable, the manufacturing costs for electrolyzers must be
significantly reduced. With our new production facility, we are helping to make
hydrogen competitive sooner.”
At the Berlin
location, the individual electrolyzer cells will be manufactured and combined
to form functional modules, or “stacks.” Depending on the required capacity,
these will then be assembled into larger process-based units. In Germany, this
last stage will take place at Mülheim, which is closely associated with the new
Berlin plant and complements it perfectly. The critical element is that production
is being switched over to mass production: Reasonably priced and affordable
electrolyzers are the prerequisite for being able to cover growing demand and
the future costs of hydrogen.
For this purpose,
Siemens Energy is relying on PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolysis, in
which water is separated into hydrogen and oxygen using a proton-permeable
membrane and electricity from renewable sources. The key aspects of this process
are its high level of efficiency, high product gas quality, and reliable
operation with no chemicals or impurities. The latest and most powerful PEM
electrolyzer product line from Siemens Energy is optimized for applications up
to the high hundreds of megawatts, enabling systems of this size to generate
several metric tons of green hydrogen every hour. The electricity used in
electrolyzer manufacture will be sourced entirely from renewables.
Hydrogen as a key
element in decarbonization
Green hydrogen – in
other words, hydrogen generated using renewable energy – is a key element in
the replacement of fossil fuels with renewables. Hydrogen can serve as a
storage medium and also as a raw material for further applications, including
synthetic fuels. But hydrogen molecules can also be used directly as an energy
source to generate electricity and heat, which have previously depended on gas.
In combination with a massive expansion of renewables, this is a way to ensure
the success of the energy transition. The pathways for producing green hydrogen
and its derived products are known; the task now is to scale production to
industrial volumes. Powerful electrolyzers of the type to be manufactured soon
in Berlin will form the centerpiece of hydrogen technology.
Siemens Energy will locate the industrial production of electrolysis modules in Berlin. Robots will help automate production.
Siemens Energy is one of the world’s leading energy technology companies. The company works with its customers and partners on energy systems for the future, thus supporting the transition to a more sustainable world. With its portfolio of products, solutions and services, Siemens Energy covers almost the entire energy value chain – from power generation and transmission to storage. The portfolio includes conventional and renewable energy technology,
such as gas and steam turbines, hybrid power plants operated with hydrogen, and power generators and transformers. More than 50 percent of the portfolio has already been decarbonized. A majority stake in the listed company Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) makes Siemens Energy a global market leader for renewable energies. An estimated one-sixth of the electricity generated worldwide is based on technologies from Siemens Energy. Siemens Energy employs around 91,000 people worldwide in more than 90 countries and generated revenue of €28.5 billion in fiscal year 2021.