Hydrogen showcase Bad Lauchstädt: UNIPER relies on SUNFIRE electrolysis

• Energy company Uniper is trialling green hydrogen technologies on an industrial scale in central Germany’s “chemical triangle”
• In Bad Lauchstädt, Sunfire will supply the centrepiece of a major project: a 30 megawatt (MW) pressurised alkaline electrolyser

One of the flagship projects of the energy transition, the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park, is being implemented at full speed. Uniper has commissioned the Dresden-based company Sunfire to build a 30 MW electrolysis plant. Delivery is scheduled for 2024.

The project in the south of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt aims to implement the production, transport, storage and economic use of green hydrogen on an industrial scale. The aim is to identify new solutions for the future energy infrastructure. Together with other project partners, Uniper is helping to create added value and jobs in the region affected by structural change.

As Sunfire CEO Nils Aldag emphasises: “With this major order, we are making an important contribution to the successful ramp-up of the hydrogen economy in the east of the country and to the transformation of the chemical industry in Germany. We are delighted to be working with Uniper to further drive forward the scaling of hydrogen production.”

The hydrogen project is not only unique for the Central Germany region, but also an important step in rolling out the hydrogen economy throughout Europe. “The Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park models the entire value chain between production, transport, storage, marketing and utilisation of green hydrogen. In Sunfire, we have found the ideal partner for a central pillar of the project and are thus driving forward the local energy transition,” says Dr. Axel Wietfeld, CEO Hydrogen at Uniper. Last but not least, green hydrogen is seen as a beacon of hope for making the future energy supply independent of Russian gas imports.

At 30 MW, Sunfire’s electrolysis plant is currently one of the largest planned plants of its kind. At the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park, green hydrogen is produced with the help of the electrolyser and green electricity from a nearby wind farm. This is then to be temporarily stored in a specially equipped salt cavern in a second phase of the project. It can then be fed into the hydrogen network of the local chemical industry via a converted gas pipeline. It will also be used in urban mobility solutions in the future, e.g. in hydrogen-powered buses.
Sunfire has already proven the efficiency of its pressurised alkaline technology in numerous projects. With its electrolysis solutions, Sunfire helps industrial companies and energy suppliers to reduce fossil fuels and CO₂ emissions in the long term. In order to meet the high demand on the market, the Dresden-based company is currently scaling up its electrolyser production. Sunfire recently received funding in the three-digit million range from the federal government and the EU as an “Important Project of Common European Interest” (IPCEI) in order to scale up its hydrogen technologies.