Production & Import

How is hydrogen produced and where does it come from? Find out about hydrogen production and import in Germany. Your questions answered here.

Questions & Answers

The planned hydrogen network is designed to be decentralised. Most of the required electricity will be produced offshore and transported via the public grid to the locations of the electrolysers, where it will be used to produce green hydrogen. The hydrogen is then transported to customers and storage facilities through a dedicated hydrogen network. A 100 MW electrolysis plant requires approximately 10,000 m² of space. The noise emitted by an electrolyser corresponds to that of a typical industrial facility, comparable to a power station. The relevant noise sources are designed in such a way that the key immission points (e.g. residential buildings) are located outside the impact area of the installation being assessed.

Most projects, including the GETH2 Nukleus project, plan to use PEM electrolysis, which stands for Proton Exchange Membrane. This technology operates without chemical consumables and can adjust its output within seconds. It thus flexibly responds to fluctuations in renewable electricity availability and is ideally suited to variable renewable sources such as wind and solar power. Two main technologies are used for the production of green hydrogen through electrolysis: alkaline electrolysis and PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) electrolysis. Depending on application, a PEM electrolyser achieves an efficiency rate between 60 and 70 per cent. It can take up fluctuating renewable power, start within seconds and adapt its output quickly. If the oxygen produced simultaneously can also be utilised, efficiency increases further as additional energy savings are made. (Source BDEW: https://www.bdew.de/energie/effizienzsteigerung-bei-der-wasserstofferzeugung/)

Producing 1 kg of hydrogen through PEM electrolysis consumes 9 litres of water. A 100 MW electrolyser operating for 4,000 full-load hours annually uses roughly 77,000 m³ of water per year.

For comparison: around 2.5 billion m³ of water flow through the River Ems towards the North Sea each year.
(Source: Wikipedia – Ems, average discharge near Versen, close to Meppen = 80 m³/s).

More information about the water management can be found in the GET H2 Factsheet Water Management in Electrolysis.

Hydrogen production replaces other forms of energy generation, all of which also require water – such as oil and gas extraction, nuclear power generation, and coal or gas-fired electricity production. In the GET H2 Nucleus project, the electrolyser for hydrogen production is located in Lingen, where the neighbouring Emsland nuclear power station was decommissioned at the end of 2022. This balances out the local water consumption for energy generation, and negative regional effects are not expected. Compared to a coal-fired power station, an electrolyser with the same output consumes around one-third of the water. A 2023 study by the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW) concluded that Germany’s water resources are more than sufficient for the planned hydrogen production.

There are sectors where fossil fuels cannot be replaced by electricity — for instance, in refineries, the chemical industry and steel production. Here, green hydrogen replaces grey hydrogen, which is produced from natural gas and emits CO₂. Hydrogen also eliminates the need for coal, oil or gas in certain applications — the first areas where green hydrogen will become commercially viable. Furthermore, synthetic fuels required to reduce CO₂ emissions in shipping and aviation depend on green hydrogen. Electricity, unlike hydrogen, cannot yet be stored on a large scale. By converting renewable power into hydrogen, the energy can be stored — for example, in existing underground caverns. Hydrogen transport through a pipeline network is highly efficient and can largely rely on existing natural gas infrastructure, which can be converted, enabling a rapid and cost-effective network build-up.

The additional electricity consumption from electrolysers must be met by substantially expanding renewable energy generation and through renewable energy import strategies. In 2025, nearly 56% of the electricity used in Germany came from renewable sources. This share must continue to increase nationwide.

However, it does not make sense to wait until all electricity demand is met by renewables before starting hydrogen production. Both renewable electricity generation and demand naturally fluctuate. To cover demand at all times, an excessive number of wind and solar installations would have to be built — many of which already have to be curtailed in very windy or sunny periods. Hydrogen makes it possible to store surplus electricity from wind and solar to balance these fluctuations.

Regardless of the hydrogen infrastructure, achieving climate targets will require a sharp rise in electricity demand and a corresponding expansion of generation capacity.

The electricity used for green hydrogen production is regulated through specific sourcing criteria. Electrolyser operators must provide evidence — for example, through guarantees of origin — showing that they have obtained renewable electricity in the same quantity consumed by their electrolysers and peripheral systems. Imported green hydrogen must meet the same electricity sourcing criteria as domestically or EU-produced hydrogen. This is verified through certification and regular audits. Initiatives such as the H2Global Foundation — supported by the German Government — play an important role in establishing international import structures for green hydrogen.

In the long term, only green hydrogen is sustainable. At the start, however, there will not be enough renewable energy or electrolysers to meet demand. During this transitional phase, hydrogen may also be produced or imported from natural gas or other sources. The resulting CO₂ will be captured and either utilised industrially or stored underground. Both the German Government and the European Commission include such transitional hydrogen sources in their hydrogen strategies. Nonetheless, this cannot be a long-term solution compatible with climate neutrality goals and must be phased out. Hydrogen from nuclear power is considered too costly and thus unlikely to be commercially viable.

Many countries and regions have substantial potential to produce and export green hydrogen. According to the National Hydrogen Strategy, about 70% of the hydrogen to be used in Germany is expected to be imported — mainly from Norway, Spain, North and South African countries as well as South American countries.

Hydrogen from European or neighbouring regions, such as North Africa or Scandinavia, can be transported via pipeline systems, in a similar manner to existing natural gas imports.

Hydrogen from more distant countries such as Australia or Chile will be shipped to European ports — in liquefied form, as derivatives like ammonia, or bound to a liquid carrier known as a Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC). At the ports, it will be converted back into gas and fed into the hydrogen network.

More information on this topic can be found in the GET H2 factsheet H2 import.

Liquid hydrogen offers extremely high purity and relatively simple handling at import terminals, with the complex liquefaction process taking place in the exporting country. LOHC technology, meanwhile, relies on a proven industrial thermal oil to transport hydrogen safely and efficiently via lorry, ship or rail. It remains open which method will ultimately prevail for long-distance hydrogen imports in the long term.

Projects

Production

300 MW electrolysis (GET H2 Nukleus)

RWE
The GET H2 Nukleus project involves the construction of an electrolysis plant at the site of the Emsland gas-fired power station in Lingen (Ems), Emsland district, Lower Saxony. The plant will be built in three stages with a total capacity of 300 megawatts (MW). The project aims to produce green hydrogen on a large scale for commercial use, which will be supplied to industrial customers.
The project is being funded as part of the IPCEI programme Hy2Infra (Important Project of Common European Interest). Funding is provided by the German federal government and the state of Lower Saxony. Commissioning of the first 200 MW is planned for 2026, with expansion to 300 MW planned for 2027. At full capacity, the plant will produce 5.6 tonnes of green hydrogen per hour.

Transport

Hydrogen Training Centre Werne

OGE
In addition to the technical infrastructure, the development of a comprehensive hydrogen transport network also requires technical staff to build up knowledge and expertise. That is why OGE has built the H₂ training track in Werne. Here, participants can practise handling the molecule under real conditions and learn about operational processes. A three-day training course covers both theoretical and, in particular, practical content. The programme is offered in cooperation with the Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e. V. (GWI) and the Deutschen Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches e. V. (DVGW). 

Application

Production

SALCOS (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking)

Salzgitter AG
Salzgitter AG is converting its steel production at its Salzgitter site in Lower Saxony to hydrogen. The SALCOS® (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking) program prevents the generation of CO₂ directly in the production process. The first expansion stage consists of a direct reduction plant with an annual capacity of 2 million tons, an electric arc furnace, and a 100 MW electrolysis plant for hydrogen production on the factory premises.
The IPCEI project is being funded with around one billion euros by the German federal government and the state of Lower Saxony. Production is scheduled to start in the first half of 2027. In the first step, around one-third of production will be converted to the hydrogen-based process. The complete transformation by the middle of the 2030s is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by over 95 percent.

Transport

H2 pipeline Legden-Marl-Scholven

SYNEQT (Evonik)
SYNEQT's pipeline system connects the Marl Chemical Park and the Scholven refinery in North Rhine-Westphalia with the hydrogen core network. The total route comprises more than 50 kilometers of operational pipeline, 41 kilometers of which were converted from an existing natural gas pipeline to hydrogen, 13 kilometers were newly constructed. In addition, new sections were built, including a three-kilometer pipeline through the Marl Chemical Park and a ten-kilometer connection to the refinery in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven. The system enables the transport of up to 50,000 tons of hydrogen per year and brings climate-neutral hydrogen directly to industrial customers. The project is part of the GET H2 Nukleus initiative and was implemented by SYNEQT together with partners from the hydrogen value chain. The aim is to connect the climate-neutral production of green hydrogen in northern Germany with industrial customers in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. SYNEQT completed work on the entire pipeline route from Legden via Marl to Gelsenkirchen-Scholven in just under two years of intensive project work. Six stations were included in the conversion. The pipeline strengthens the role of the Marl Chemical Park as a hydrogen hub."

Transport

Flow – making hydrogen happen Phase 1

GASCADE
In December 2025, 400 km of hydrogen pipeline went into operation. Existing pipelines were filled with hydrogen for this purpose. The route runs from Lubmin in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to Bobbau in Saxony-Anhalt.

Transport

Conversion of pipelines 40b, 43, and 60

Nowega
The pipelines 40b, 43, and 60 connect Lingen in Emsland with Bad Bentheim in the district of Grafschaft Bentheim in Lower Saxony and form an important section of the GET H2 hydrogen network currently under construction. The three line sections cover a total of around 51 kilometers: Line 40b extends over 22 kilometers from the Messingen station southeast of Lingen via the Schepsdorf network node to the Frenswegen station northwest of Nordhorn. Line 43 runs for 11 kilometers from the Schepsdorf station to the Holthausen II station with a connection to bp Lingen, and Pipeline 60 runs for 18 kilometers from the Frenswegen station to the Bentheim station. The pipelines operate at a working pressure of 70 bar. The converted natural gas pipelines are used to transport green hydrogen from Lingen, where hydrogen is to be produced from wind power, to industrial customers in the northern Ruhr area. The project was implemented by Nowega GmbH and is part of the GET H2 Nukleus project, which is being realized in collaboration with partners OGE, RWE, and Evonik. The project was funded as part of the IPCEI program. Pipelines 40b and 60 have been operational since the successful conversion and are transporting hydrogen.

Production & Import

Questions & Answers

How is the safe operation of an electrolysis plant ensured?

Are electrolysis plants built directly next to wind farms? How much space is required, and what kind of noise is generated?

Which electrolysis technology is used, and what is the efficiency rate?

Are harmful by-products produced during hydrogen generation via electrolysis?

How much water is consumed during hydrogen production via electrolysis?

Does hydrogen production exacerbate water scarcity during periods of severe summer drought?

Why use hydrogen despite efficiency losses compared to direct renewable electricity use?

Are renewable energy capacities sufficient to produce green hydrogen?

How is it ensured that the hydrogen originates from renewable sources?

How is an indirect increase in CO₂ emissions avoided?

How is the use of “old” energy sources such as nuclear power or natural gas for hydrogen production prevented?

Where does imported hydrogen come from, and how is it transported?

Why are multiple hydrogen import options being pursued?

Why import hydrogen if the aim is to become more independent from foreign energy supplies?

How is supply security ensured despite fragile international trade relations?

How is it ensured that importing climate-friendly hydrogen does not create social or environmental problems in the producing countries?

Projects

300 MW electrolysis (GET H2 Nukleus)

Hydrogen Training Centre Werne

SALCOS (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking)

H2 pipeline Legden-Marl-Scholven

Flow – making hydrogen happen Phase 1

Conversion of pipelines 40b, 43, and 60

300 MW electrolysis (GET H2 Nukleus)

Hydrogen Training Centre Werne

SALCOS (Salzgitter Low CO2 Steelmaking)

H2 pipeline Legden-Marl-Scholven

Flow – making hydrogen happen Phase 1

Conversion of pipelines 40b, 43, and 60