Wilhelmshaven hydrogen initiative welcomes first North American partner

Canadian renewable energy company World Energy GH2 has joined Port of Wilhelmshaven’s ENERGY HUB, an initiative that aims to position Wilhelmshaven as the ‘Hydrogen Valley of Germany’, as the first North American member.

On 26 January, World Energy GH2 announced it had officially become a member of the initiative that gathers more than 40 green hydrogen industry-focused companies and government players such as Arcelor Mittal, BP, Engie, E.ON, Equinor, EWE, Gasunie, Orsted, RWE, and Uniper.

Wilhelmshaven will be one of the first German ports to receive green hydrogen from Canada where World Energy GH2 is developing its commercial-scale green hydrogen/ammonia projects – Project Nujio’qonik.

The project will be constructed on the west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. It will ultimately produce around 250,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year (1.2 million tonnes of green ammonia) with the first phase expected to produce nearly 400,000 tonnes of green ammonia for export.

The project already owns the Port of Stephenville, which includes the land for the plant facility.

Pre-FEED phase of the project was completed in July 2023 followed by the submission of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in August 2023. Shortly after, World Energy GH2 was granted approval of Crown land application by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador for its large-scale green hydrogen project.

“World Energy GH2 is proud to become part of this important European collaboration that is working hard to stand-up the green hydrogen industry, and we’re especially proud to be the first North American member of the ENERGY HUB,” said Sean Leet, Managing Director and CEO, World Energy GH2.

“Project Nujio’qonik is on track to be among the world’s first providers of commercial-scale green hydrogen. Building global industry connections continues to be integral to Project Nujio’qonik’s position as one of the leading green hydrogen projects in the world. Joining the ENERGY HUB is an exciting development in our journey.

“The European green hydrogen industry launched in earnest on August 23, 2022, at our project site at the Port of Stephenville, in Newfoundland and Labrador, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz initiated the Canada – Germany Hydrogen Alliance. It is a fantastic opportunity to be able to further advance the Canada – Germany collaboration with tangible initiatives such as the Wilhelmshaven ENERGY HUB – another sign that the rubber is hitting the road.”

Uwe Oppitz, Managing Director of Rhenus Ports GmbH & Co.KG, and representative for the ENERGY HUB Port of Wilhelmshaven, added: “We extend a warm welcome to World Energy GH2. Having started with 16 private companies with the ambition to pave the way for green energy in Germany, we have grown our membership to more than 40 companies in three years, and World Energy GH2 is our first North American-based member. For the ENERGY HUB Port of Wilhelmshaven, it is an important milestone that will help us overcome the obstacles in the ramp-up of the new market for green molecules.”

“The development of the ENERGY HUB is fantastic. The growing international attention is important to move forward with ENERGY HUB Port of Wilhelmhaven and its many innovative and promising projects. We are all aiming to develop and shape Wilhelmshaven as Germany’s green energy hub which is playing an important part in securing the German power supply. I am happy to see how far we have come since our first meeting, and to welcome World Energy GH2 as the first, of hopefully many, international overseas partners,” commented Siemtje Möller, Member of Parliament for Wilhelmshaven and Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany.