By P Gosselin on 22. November 2023
Endless inexperienced power woes: excessive development prices… uneconomical…”related main financial dangers”
Supply: westkueste100
Hydrogen would be the know-how that can finally resolve all of the world’s power woes, so declare those that are lastly realizing {that a} lithium battery powered economic system is a pipe dream in spite of everything. And, so should the inexperienced economic system present go on.
However not so quick. Hydrogen has its drawbacks
Blackout Information reviews that the inexperienced hydrogen undertaking Westküste 100 in Heide, Germany, has been “halted prematurely”. The rationale: It’s simply plain uneconomical. Clearly, regardless of having been informed tons of of occasions already, planners are simply discovering out that power from inexperienced hydrogen is simply too costly.
In keeping with the Westküste 100 press launch: “After intensive examination of all common circumstances, the three way partnership is not going to make a optimistic funding resolution. That is because of the elevated funding prices and the related main financial dangers.”
Excessive prices
“The ‘Westküste 100’ electrolysis plant undertaking was terminated prematurely three years after the beginning of the undertaking. Raffinerie Heide, Ørsted Deutschland and Hynamics Deutschland have introduced that they won’t be constructing an electrolyzer,” writes Blackout Information. “The principle motive for the choice towards the 30-megawatt plant is the excessive development prices, based on the businesses in a press launch.”
The Westküste 100 undertaking’s intention was to develop and implement a regional hydrogen economic system on an industrial scale. Inexperienced hydrogen was presupposed to be generated based mostly on renewable sources of power (wind energy and photovoltaics), utilizing a 30-megawatt (MW) electrolyzer, To realize this aim, regional and worldwide corporations from business, growth and analysis merged, to provide, retailer, transport and make the most of inexperienced hydrogen, based on Westküste’s web site right here.
Hundreds of thousands in subsidies wasted
Now it seems that, regardless of hundreds of thousands in subsidies, the undertaking is a cash loser. The undertaking was began in 2020 and was to be funded to the tune of 36 hundreds of thousands euros from the federal government.
“Regardless of the funding, the financial viability of the plant for inexperienced hydrogen manufacturing on an industrial scale just isn’t given, based on the investor consortium,” summarizes Blackout Information.
But, Setting Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Inexperienced Social gathering) insists that the “Hyscale 100” electrolyzer plant – which is 3 occasions bigger than Westküste 100 – will proceed with the help of the state authorities. It’s nonetheless within the planning part.
No market, prices not proper
Jörg Kubitza, Managing Director of offshore wind firm Ørsted-Germany, stated there was no financial viability for the undertaking and so the Danish firm opted out. “The prices needed to be proper and a market needed to be created, which was not the case right here.”
Town utility in Heide had deliberate to offer “inexperienced heating” by mixing the inexperienced hydrogen with pure gasoline. “This undertaking has now additionally been discontinued on account of the electrolysis plant being deserted,” reviews Blackout Information.
