tesa, an international manufacturer of innovative adhesive tapes and self-adhesive product solutions, and EWE signed a supply contract for 500 tons of green hydrogen per year in Hamburg today. The agreement between EWE HYDROGEN GmbH and tesa Werk Hamburg GmbH was sealed by EWE CEO Stefan Dohler and tesa CEO Dr. Kourosh Bahrami. This will cover EWE's planned annual hydrogen demand at tesa's Hamburg plant from 2028. The hydrogen is to be used there for steam generation and replace fossil fuels.
For EWE, this is the next industrial supply contract for green hydrogen, following the agreement with Salzgitter AG a few weeks ago. tesa and EWE are already investing in the hydrogen ramp-up: EWE in generation and infrastructure, tesa in the prerequisites for industrial use. With the supply contract, they are bringing supply and demand together.
Hydrogen from Emden for Hamburg
The green hydrogen planned for tesa will be produced at EWE's 320-megawatt hydrogen production plant in Emden, which is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2027. The hydrogen will be produced by electrolysis with electricity from renewable energies and will meet the European Renewable Hydrogen Requirements (RFNBO). From there, the hydrogen will reach Hamburg via the emerging hydrogen core network.
At the same time, tesa is preparing to connect its plant to the Hamburg hydrogen industry network HH-WIN. The connection is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027, and the first hydrogen use in steam generation is planned from 2028.
"We want to gradually make our production climate-neutral by 2030 and are creating the technical prerequisites for this at the Hamburg plant. Green hydrogen complements electrification, heat storage and intelligent energy control where process heat cannot be fully electrified. In this way, we combine measurable CO₂ reduction with reliable and sustainable production for our customers. The contract with EWE is therefore not only an important step for our climate targets, but also for the long-term competitiveness of the site," says Dr. Kourosh Bahrami, CEO of tesa SE.
500 tonnes to cover planned hydrogen demand
tesa's Hamburg plant is the largest energy and emissions site in the tesa network. Its transformation concept combines increased efficiency, electrification with heat storage, AI-supported control of energy flows, and green hydrogen. Starting in January 2028, tesa plans to use around 500 tons of green hydrogen from Emden annually for steam generation. This is expected to reduce the plant's emissions by around 6,000 tons of CO₂e per year. Two H₂-ready dual-fuel steam boilers create the technical prerequisites for this; the first has already been installed and connected.
EWE CEO Stefan Dohler: "With tesa, another well-known industrial customer after Salzgitter has opted for green hydrogen from EWE. This shows that supply and demand can come together, even if the market is still in its infancy. tesa and EWE are making binding decisions today for a more climate-friendly energy supply of tomorrow."
Infrastructure for the hydrogen ramp-up
EWE bundles essential parts of the hydrogen value chain – from production to transport and storage to delivery to industrial customers. As part of the IPCEI's large-scale "Clean Hydrogen Coastline" project, electrolysis, storage and pipeline infrastructures are being built in northwest Germany. The federal government and the state of Lower Saxony are supporting the development of this hydrogen infrastructure with subsidies. This also includes the 320-megawatt generation plant in Emden, from which the hydrogen for tesa will come. The supply contract itself is a private-sector agreement between EWE HYDROGEN GmbH and tesa plant in Hamburg.
The transformation of the tesa plant in Hamburg is also receiving public support. tesa is receiving funding for the project through a climate protection contract from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as well as local funding from IFB Hamburg. For EWE, the agreement with tesa is also the first hydrogen supply contract in which a climate protection contract from the federal government supports the use of green hydrogen on the customer side. The contract thus shows in concrete terms how government instruments can stimulate industrial demand and contribute to the ramp-up of the hydrogen market.
Partnerships advance the hydrogen market
The contract with tesa shows that concrete industrial applications for green hydrogen are emerging. However, the market ramp-up is still dependent on funding. In order for individual projects to become a viable market, further industrial partnerships and reliable framework conditions are needed. From EWE's point of view, this includes, in particular, competitive electricity prices, practical production specifications and sufficient renewable electricity.
"The first contracts show that companies are ready to lead the way. Now we have to move from individual projects to scaling. It must be possible to produce and use green hydrogen competitively in Germany and Europe. To do this, companies need long-term security and practicable rules so that hydrogen can strengthen the resilience of our energy supply and Europe's energy sovereignty at the same time," says EWE CEO Dohler.
Facts and figures at a glance
- Contractual partners: EWE HYDROGEN GmbH and tesa Werk Hamburg GmbH
- Supply volume: 500 tonnes of hydrogen from renewable energies per year
- Coverage: 100 percent of the planned annual hydrogen demand of the tesa plant in Hamburg
- Start of delivery: from 2028
- Production: EWE's 320-megawatt hydrogen production plant in Emden
- Application: Steam generation at the tesa plant in Hamburg
- Grid connection: via HH-WIN to the hydrogen core network
- H₂ connected load: 25 MW
- Technology: two H₂-ready dual-fuel steam boilers
