GET H2 Nukleus Gathers Momentum: First Hydrogen from Lingen Reaches Marl

The first electrolytic hydrogen produced in Lingen, Lower Saxony, has reached Marl in the northern Ruhr region. This means that all components of the integrated GET H2 Nukleus hydrogen project are now successfully operating together as a unified system.

As part of the ongoing commissioning process for RWE’s two 100-megawatt electrolysis plants in Lingen, initial quantities of renewable hydrogen are being produced in accordance with EU regulations. The hydrogen is transported through a pipeline network of approximately 120 kilometres operated by transmission system operators Nowega and OGE, together with SYNEQT, an Evonik subsidiary, to Evonik’s Marl Chemical Park, where it is put to industrial use.

Parts of the GET H2 Nukleus project are funded by the German federal government and the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia under the Hy2Infra IPCEI programme, which supports Important Projects of Common European Interest. The pipelines are among the first sections of Germany’s hydrogen core network, which is being developed step by step across the country.

“With GET H2 Nukleus, our first hydrogen pipelines are entering network operation. This is an important step in establishing the hydrogen economy in the region and throughout Germany,” says Thomas Hüwener, CEO of OGE. “At the same time, the project is enabling us to lay important foundations for the future market design and to test key processes such as network access, capacity booking and balancing under real operating conditions.”

Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE Generation SE, says: “The fact that certified renewable hydrogen from Lingen is reaching Marl via pipelines demonstrates that the interaction between electrolysis, transport infrastructure and off-takers works. We are now moving swiftly towards the full commissioning of our electrolysers. Over the coming months, we will prepare the plants for commercial operation.”

RWE will commission 200 megawatts of electrolysis capacity in Lingen by the end of 2026. From 2027, the entire facility is expected to produce hydrogen with a total capacity of 300 megawatts. The hydrogen produced in RWE’s electrolysis plants meets the EU requirements for renewable fuels of non-biological origin, or RFNBOs. Customers receive corresponding proof of sustainability and can therefore count the hydrogen towards their decarbonisation targets.

“The early dialogue and joint project development with the first transport customers as part of GET H2 have paid off,” says Frank Heunemann, Managing Director of Nowega. “This early start and constructive collaboration are providing important momentum for the design of the new overall system. We are now moving into the practical phase of operating and coordinating its individual components.” In the GET H2 TransHyDE research project, the companies had already gained initial experience in recent years, which can now be further developed under real-world system operating conditions.

“Our persistence is paying off. With this jointly implemented project, we are opening the door even wider to sustainable transformation and the future-oriented development of the chemical park. Once the hydrogen arrives here in Marl, it can be used directly to meet the needs of industry. At the same time, its availability makes the site more attractive to new companies,” says Thomas Basten, Chairman of the SYNEQT Management Board. “The many years of cooperation between all partners have made this possible. We have pooled our experience, knowledge and expertise, laying the foundations for the necessary ramp-up of the hydrogen economy.”

Additional pipeline projects connected to GET H2 Nukleus have already been completed or are currently under development. These include the new ten-kilometre pipeline from Heek to Epe, completed by OGE and Nowega at the end of 2025, which connects the hydrogen storage facility. RWE Gas Storage West will begin filling Europe’s first commercial hydrogen cavern storage facility there at the end of 2026, with operations scheduled to begin in mid-2027.

To connect additional industrial customers, OGE and Nowega will also convert an existing pipeline from Legden to Dorsten to hydrogen by 2027 and build a new pipeline from Dorsten to Marl. SYNEQT has also completed a pipeline connecting the Marl Chemical Park with the refinery in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven.