Consortium partners of Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park sign first capacity contract for the transport of green hydrogen

• Contract secures transport capacity for green hydrogen in the ONTRAS pipeline network
• Capacity contract is a prerequisite for contractually secured supply of hydrogen to TotalEnergies Raffinerie Mitteldeutschland
• Capacity contract contractually completes the green hydrogen value chain at the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park

With today’s signing of the capacity agreement for the transport of green hydrogen between Uniper and VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH via the joint venture Elektrolyse Mitteldeutschland GmbH (EMG) with ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH, modelling of the entire value chain for green hydrogen has now also been contractually secured. Following the recent conclusion of the supply contract with TotalEnergies Raffinerie Mitteldeutschland, this contract between the consortium partners enables the green hydrogen produced from wind power in the electrolysis process to be transported from Bad Lauchstädt to the refinery in Leuna via the converted gas pipeline and thus reach the customer reliably.

“In the face of challenging framework conditions, we as Elektrolyse Mitteldeutschland GmbH and the future operating company of the 30 MW electrolyser have been able to conclude two contracts of outstanding importance for the future success of the entire Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park project with the hydrogen supply contract and the capacity contract,” explains Sebastian Pflüger from VNG Handel & Vertrieb GmbH and Managing Director of Elektrolyse Mitteldeutschland GmbH.

“For the upcoming delivery of green hydrogen to the TotalEnergies refinery in Leuna, we have succeeded in contractually linking production and acceptance with the necessary transport capacity. This is groundbreaking and an important milestone for the success of the energy transition. At the same time, the conclusion of the contract is testimony to the excellent and constructive cooperation between the consortium partners in the project,” adds Bastian Untiet from Uniper and also Managing Director of Elektrolyse Mitteldeutschland GmbH.

This is also confirmed by ONTRAS Managing Director Ralph Bahke: “The conclusion of both contracts demonstrates the confidence of the companies involved in the success of the market roll out of hydrogen.” He also added: “We are sending a strong signal to politicians to resolutely support the development of the nationwide hydrogen core network, because without a connecting infrastructure, Bad Lauchstädt would remain an isolated solution – and nobody can seriously want that.”

Before the first green hydrogen can be delivered to the Total refinery in Leuna in 2025, the wind farm will be completed by the spring of next year and the electrolyser will be built in parallel by 2025. Last but not least, the converted gas pipeline will be extended to the refinery in Leuna with a short connecting pipeline.

Caption: 

Signing the contract - from left to right Björn Güth (ONTRAS), Ralph Bahke (ONTRAS), Sebastian Pflüger (EMG, VNG H&V), Cornelia Müller Pagel (VNG AG), Bastian Untiet (EMG, Uniper). Photo © Tom Schulze