The EWE Group is advancing the development of its hydrogen storage facility in Huntorf, Germany. The company’s subsidiary, EWE GASSPEICHER GmbH, has awarded international industrial services provider Bilfinger a contract for the delivery of a hydrogen treatment facility. Bilfinger will assume responsibility for the engineering, installation and commissioning of the plant, marking another significant milestone in EWE’s program to convert an existing natural gas cavern into a large-scale hydrogen storage facility.
One of the seven underground salt caverns at EWE’s Huntorf storage site in Germany’s Wesermarsch region will be repurposed for hydrogen storage. Once commissioned, the facility will provide approximately 16 million standard cubic meters (Nm³) of working gas capacity for hydrogen. The storage facility will be connected to Germany’s hydrogen core network, creating a flexible link between hydrogen production, transport and utilization.
Storage facilities enhance security of supply and system stability
In the future, hydrogen will be produced or imported when renewable energy is available – not necessarily when industrial customers, energy suppliers or power generators need it. Hydrogen storage systems resolve this issue of timing: They store hydrogen when it is available and release it when it is needed. By balancing fluctuations in hydrogen supply, storage facilities provide critical flexibility, strengthen security of supply and support the stability of the future hydrogen economy.
“Hydrogen storage facilities are essential for a secure and reliable energy supply. They create a buffer between production, import and consumption, ensuring that hydrogen is available whenever it is needed – no matter when it is produced or supplied. With our storage project in Huntorf, we are creating vital infrastructure and, through this contract award to Bilfinger, taking another important step forward,” says Peter Schmidt, Managing Director of EWE GASSPEICHER GmbH. “For hydrogen storage to fulfil its role in the future energy system and for investments in the required infrastructure to materialize, reliable regulatory and economic framework conditions are just as important as the timely development of the hydrogen core network.”
Innovative technology for hydrogen treatment
Bilfinger has been supporting EWE for several years in the planning and implementation of hydrogen production and storage plants at various locations. For the Huntorf facility, the company will be responsible for the engineering, installation and commissioning of the hydrogen drying system. This marks the first time that the H2Dry technology developed by Bilfinger will be used on a commercial scale.
“Hydrogen storage requires efficient and cost-effective treatment solutions. With H2Dry, we provide exactly that while helping our customers bring green hydrogen to market competitively,” says Ulrich Trebbe, Product Manager Hydrogen at Bilfinger. “EWE and Bilfinger have built a strong partnership over many years, and we are delighted to further strengthen this collaboration as we contribute to developing a sustainable energy supply for Germany.”
Huntorf brings together hydrogen production, transport and utilization
The Huntorf hydrogen storage facility is part of EWE’s flagship Clean Hydrogen Coastline initiative. The project integrates the production, storage, transport and utilization of renewable hydrogen across north-west Germany. As part of the European IPCEI program (Important Project of Common European Interest), the four-part project received funding approvals from the German federal government and the State of Lower Saxony in the summer of 2024.
EWE is currently implementing the phased conversion of the existing natural gas cavern in Huntorf into a large-scale hydrogen storage facility. The hydrogen treatment plant is a key element of the future storage infrastructure. The facility is scheduled for connection to the hydrogen core network and to start operations in 2028. By serving as a buffer between hydrogen production, transport and consumption, the storage facility will help balance fluctuations within the hydrogen system, provide hydrogen when it is needed, and further strengthen security of supply.
Research experience applied to large-scale deployment
EWE has already demonstrated the safe storage of hydrogen in salt caverns as part of a research project at its gas storage site in Rüdersdorf near Berlin. The knowledge gained from the construction and operation of the 500-cubic-metre test cavern is now being applied to large-scale projects such as Huntorf.
With a portfolio of 37 salt caverns, EWE has extensive expertise in the development and operation of underground energy storage infrastructure. The company is leveraging this experience to support the expansion of Germany’s future hydrogen storage network.
