UK-based energy major BP has announced plans to conduct a feasibility study for a new hydrogen hub at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, with the intention being to repurpose some of its existing oil and gas infrastructure to handle green gases instead.
BP, the owner of the Castrol lubricant brand, currently has some infrastructure at Wilhelmshaven’s Nord-West Oelleitung terminal, so it intends to use some of this for its new hydrogen hub. The endeavour will feature an ammonia generator that is able to produce 130,000 tons worth of low-carbon hydrogen per year from this green ammonia, with the plans envisaged to come online in 2028. The produced hydrogen will then be distributed to customers through the existing oil and gas pipelines.
BP Europa SE’s CEO, Patrick Wendeler, said:
“At BP we have the expertise and capacity to cover the entire value chain of green hydrogen production, including conversion into derivates like ammonia, transport, and then reconversion to supply green hydrogen to the customers and places who need it.”
Green ammonia has been positioned as a valuable component in the transition to green energy, because it can be sustainably produced by combining green hydrogen with nitrogen from the atmosphere. Ammonia is already traded around the world, mostly as an ingredient in fertiliser, so there are already safe methods for transporting and storing it. When needed, it can either be burned as a clean fuel or converted back into hydrogen.
If the German site is found to be feasible, BP may well look at doing something similar with its extensive oil and gas infrastructure in the UK.
