The Bad Lauchstädt energy hub is a real-world laboratory for production, storage, transport, marketing and use of green hydrogen, testing the entire value chain of green hydrogen on an industrial scale.

A 30MW electrolysis system from Sunfire produces green hydrogen using renewable electricity from the nearby wind farm. Stored temporarily in a salt cavern specially designed for this purpose, the green hydrogen can be fed into the hydrogen network of the chemical industry based in Central Germany via a converted gas pipeline.

The wind farm is due to be completed in the first half of this year while the electrolyser, which is being constructed in parallel, is due for completion by 2025.

Transport contract
The contract covers transport of green hydrogen between Elektrolyse Mitteldeutschland – a joint venture between Uniper and VNG Handel & Vertrieb – and German gas network operator Ontras Gastransport.

It enables green hydrogen – produced in an electrolyser powered by wind – to be transported from Bad Lauchstädt to a refinery in Leuna via a converted gas pipeline.

A supply agreement for the gas has been agreed between the partners and TotalEnergies Raffinerie Mitteldeutschland.