News from the construction site – The January update

The start of the year at the Energiepark Bad Lauchstädt is marked by winter conditions – and by concentrated work on the crucial technical components. While weather-dependent steps are currently on hold, much of the work inside the plants is continuing as planned.

Gas processing

In the hydrogen gas processing plant, the focus is currently on careful technical preparation. The plant is around 99 percent complete in mechanical terms. The construction site is currently being backfilled, and at the same time, delivery and installation of the plant control system began last week. A total of eleven control cabinets will be installed and connected for this purpose.

The first TÜV inspection in the field of electrical engineering is scheduled for the end of March. This will be followed by step-by-step functional tests and test runs of the plant – initially without hydrogen (known as cold commissioning). This phase serves to test all control, safety, and process sequences under realistic conditions and to coordinate them optimally. Cold commissioning is scheduled for April 2026. 

Progress in the electrolysis hall

Regardless of the weather, visible progress is being made in the electrolysis hall. The stacks of the second electrolysis module have been fully installed. At the same time, assembly of the third module has begun. The plant is thus gradually growing toward its planned total capacity.

Grid connection to the refinery established 

A significant technical milestone was reached in January: the physical grid connection point to the TotalEnergies refinery in Leuna has been established. This means that the plant system is now connected by pipelines from the start of production to delivery to the customer. A plug-in disc currently separates the systems from each other until production begins at a later date. The infrastructural connection has thus been established. 

January shows that even quieter months are crucial in the course of the project. While winter weather determines the pace of individual work, the Energiepark Bad Lauchstädt is making steady progress internally – thus laying important foundations for the next stages in 2026.