RWE’s plans for green hydrogen production in Teesside gain ground

Energy company RWE is advancing plans for its proposed UK green hydrogen production plant with the acquisition of a land option at Wilton International in the heart of the Teesside Industrial area.

RWE is developing opportunities for a large-scale green hydrogen production plant at the site with an initial size of up to 260 MWe electrolyzer and the ability to produce up to five tonnes per hour of green hydrogen.

The secured land option, which RWE described as significant, is located in the Teesside Industrial area, part of the wider East Coast Cluster. The land is next to industrial energy users and near planned hydrogen pipelines that could provide green hydrogen to support the industrial decarbonization of the region, the company explained.

Teesside’s net-zero ambitions include becoming one of the world’s first decarbonized industrial clusters through the production, consumption, and export of low-carbon hydrogen.

Tom Glover, RWE UK Country Chair, said: “This is a really significant step towards RWE’s ambitions for the production of green hydrogen in Teesside. We have secured land and have already completed feasibility and initial environmental studies with an aim to be operational by 2028. Detailed discussions with potential industrial customers have started, exploring ways the hydrogen produced can help them to decarbonise. It’s an exciting project and we are motivated by the prospect of bringing major green investment to the region.”

In Teesside and the UK East Coast areas, RWE is operating its Triton Knoll and Humber Gateway offshore wind farms from its Grimsby Hub Operations & Maintenance facility. The company is also constructing the 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm and developing two Dogger Bank South offshore wind projects. Onshore, RWE also operates many wind farms in the region and is developing several solar projects.

At the same time, RWE is developing nearly 1 GWe hydrogen opportunities across the UK as well as other green hydrogen projects across Europe, including 300 MW GET H2 at Lingen. The company is targeting 2 GW of green hydrogen electrolyzer capacity in its core markets by 2030.