EWE Starts Construction of 320 MW Electrolyzer in Emden

The energy provider EWE has officially begun construction of its 320-megawatt hydrogen production facility in Emden. The awarding of the civil and structural engineering contracts marks a decisive step toward realizing the Clean Hydrogen Coastline project, one of the largest hydrogen initiatives in Europe. The facility will be among the first electrolyzers in Germany to produce hydrogen at a market-relevant scale. EWE aims to start supplying green hydrogen to industrial customers by the end of 2027.

The Emden facility is part of an integrated system of production, storage, and transport. This includes a large-scale hydrogen storage facility in Huntorf and a pipeline connection between Wilhelmshaven, Leer, and Emden, which will later become part of Germany’s core hydrogen network.

The contracted companies bring “technical expertise and reliability” to drive the project forward quickly, emphasizes Stefan Dohler, CEO of EWE AG. The resulting planning security enables EWE to begin actively marketing green hydrogen—a significant signal for the industrial market ramp-up.

Dohler also used the start of construction to make a political appeal: the recent report by the Federal Court of Auditors on the hydrogen strategy clearly shows that the market ramp-up must be faster and more economical. “For hydrogen to play a central role in climate protection and competitiveness, we need reliable and practical framework conditions,” Dohler said.