The H2-VALUE chain of the Rostock region

With the development of a regional value chain from regeneratively produced, green hydrogen, actors from politics, business and science are working together towards the goal of a sustainable, competitive hydrogen economy. The potential offered by wind and solar energy is being implemented in a variety of projects in the sense of linking sectors.

IPCEI & Energy Port

Electrolyser

Rostock's seaport is to be gradually developed into a large-scale hub for green hydrogen with an energy output of 1 gigawatt by 2030. The necessary renewable energies will be fed into the port mainly from offshore wind farms via the Bentwisch energy grid connection. The surplus heat generated during the conversion process will be supplied to the district heating network of Rostock municipal utilities for the district heating supply of the Hanseatic and university city.

doing hydrogen

Electrolyser

In the Barlach town of Güstrow, in the district of Rostock, the energy company Enertrag is building an electrolyser by 2030. This will be supplied by 100 per cent regionally produced wind and solar power and is connected to the doing hydrogen pipeline. Güstrow's Municipal Utilities will be the consumers of the resulting surplus heat.

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Apex Industrial Park

Hydrogen power station

The company Apex Group recently commissioned Europe's largest grid-connected hydrogen power plant in Rostock-Laage. Once completed, the plant will use power-to-gas (PTG) technology to electrolytically produce up to 300 t/a of green hydrogen from renewable energy sources with a capacity of 2 MW. The hydrogen will be converted back into electricity in a connected H2 combined heat and power plant.

Bentwisch energy grid node

At the Bentwisch energy grid connection, which interconnects the regional distribution grid and the nationwide extra-high voltage grid, renewable energies from the offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea are fed into the grid and distributed nationwide. The seaward interconnector also allows electricity to be routed between Denmark and Germany via the node for European electricity trading.

IPCEI & Energy Port

Rostock Energy Port

Rostock's seaport is to be developed into a hub for hydrogen and green ammonia with 1 gigawatt of energy supply capacity. Based on the concept of sector linking, a purchase of hydrogen and its derivatives by regional actors is secured and the waste heat is to be fed into the existing district heating network. The IWEN Institute based in Rostock-Warnemünde supports the transformation process with innovative research approaches.

feasibility study

Hydrogen storage power plant

A current study is investigating the subsequent use of Rostock's coal power plant by means of an innovative, grid-forming hydrogen storage power plant. The hard coal-fired power plant, which must be shut down by 2035, fulfils transregional grid-supporting functions. The hydrogen storage power plant could not only fulfil these grid control function, but also supply heat for the local heating grid and hydrogen for various projects in sector coupling.

doing hydrogen & IPCEI

Hydrogen pipeline

A hydrogen pipeline is to run from Rostock's seaport to the Central German Chemical Triangle, thus supporting the hydrogen economy in eastern Germany. The pipeline builder and operator Gascade, the gas transporter Ontras, the regional hydrogen producer Apex and the wind energy company Enertrag want to convert an existing natural gas pipeline and integrate it into the German and European hydrogen network.

Hydrogen filling station Rostock

In Rostock, TOTAL operates the first hydrogen filling station in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in cooperation with H2 Mobility. The hydrogen filling station was funded by the federal government with just under 700,000 euros in the National Innovation Programme (NIP), under which the federal government provides a total of 20 million euros in funding for the development of the hydrogen filling station network.

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Apex Industrial Park

Hydrogen filling station

A public filling station for up to 40 public transport buses and 200 cars is located on Apex Energy's factory premises. As part of the realisation of a green, hydrogen-based business park, Apex wants to supply this filling station with hydrogen produced on site.

Fertilisers

In the agricultural sector, changes are necessary in the interests of sustainability. In the Rostock district, the Norwegian fertiliser company Yara is examining the extent to which the production of ammonia can be made cleaner and more sustainable through the use of climate-neutral hydrogen.

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Feasibility study

Heavy duty vehicles

In the transport sector, which accounts for 40% of the total energy consumption of the Rostock region, transformation processes must be initiated. For this purpose, it is currently being investigated which prerequisites must be created so that hydrogen-based emission-free or climate-neutral drives can be used in the area of municipal vehicles, such as intercity buses of the company rebus Regionalbus Rostock GmbH or waste disposal vehicles of the Rostock municipal waste disposal company.

Shipping

As part of the Pa-X-ell2 research project, the Rostock-based shipping company AIDA Cruises is investigating the development of a hydrogen-powered fuel cell as part of a decentralised energy system. The American parent company Carnival Maritime GmbH has joined the "Getting to Zero" initiative of the shipping industry and wants to put the emission-free cruise ship into operation in 2030, and by 2040 the entire fleet should be climate-neutral.

Bernstein-Resort-Pütnitz

The topic of sustainability has long been in the focus of tourism, one of the most important economic sectors in the region. The combination of innovation and sustainability is to be realised on the Pütnitz peninsula near Ribnitz-Damgarten in a nature-based climate-friendly tourism project. The potential of hydrogen as an energy carrier is to be implemented here, for example, in the area of mobility.

Apex Industrial Park

Climate-neutral business park

In Rostock-Laage, not far from Rostock Airport, the energy supplier Apex Group is building a CO2-neutral hydrogen centre. The grid-connected hydrogen power plant and an H2 combined heat and power plant will supply the companies settling there with climate-neutral energy. From 2026, the hydrogen will be produced primarily for the "doing hydrogen pipeline“.

District heating network

In order for the Rostock region to be climate-neutral by 2035, hydrogen will be an important energy carrier for the sustainable district heating supply. In terms of sector linking, the surplus heat from the conversion of renewable electricity to hydrogen can be fed into the existing district heating network of the Hanseatic City of Rostock or Güstrow, as is envisaged in the energy port project or doing hydrogen, for example.

Hydrogen Research Factory MV

Hydrogen Application Centre

Fraunhofer Institute for Large Structures (IGP)
The application centre of the research factory under the direction of the IGP represents the link for the transfer of hydrogen technologies into practical application. Novel technologies are further developed here with regard to their practical applicability for the development of an innovative and sustainable hydrogen economy. One focus is on the economic optimisation of hydrogen-related technologies to ensure a successful transformation process.

Hydrogen Research Factory MV

PtX Flex Research Centre

Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP)
Under the leadership of the INP, methods and systems for methane plasmalysis are to be researched and tested. The aim of the research is the low-emission production of hydrogen and solid carbon, with minimal use of available renewable energies. As a sub-project of the Hydrogen Research Factory MV, it is a link between basic research and practice.

Hydrogen Research Factory MV

PtX- Transfer Technology Centre

Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT)
The PtX Transfer Technology Centre located at LIKAT is a breeding ground for the Hydrogen Research Factory MV and thus represents the start of the development of technologies. Through expansions at the LIKAT technical centre, hydrogen from its own electrolysis plant is converted from carbon dioxide

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CAMPFIRE Open Innovation Lab

The alliance was founded as part of the funding programme "WIR! - Change through Innovation in the Region" funding programme of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The aim is to research and develop new energy conversion and storage technologies for the decentralised production of green ammonia and its use in emission-free drives for shipping and the energy industry. The focus is also on technical solutions for ammonia import and distribution as well as transfer activities to industry and training of skilled workers.

The German Offshore Wind Energy Foundation

A national offshore test field with up to 150 MW of generation capacity is to be built off the coast of Rostock-Warnemünde to research new technologies and innovations for a holistic energy transformation. With the shallow water depth and easily accessible port infrastructure provided by the Rostock seaport, the research-oriented wind farm has optimal site conditions and is scheduled to go into operation in 2025.

Feasibility study

H2-MEMORY-TOOLBOX

The Apex Group is developing a new storage technology together with LIKAT Rostock. This storage system is to be used for both stationary storage and the global transport of hydrogen. For this purpose, the salt of formic acid is to function as a storage medium like a universal tool set and be used for the different needs and requirements of the respective area of application.

DEVELOPMENT OF MARITIME HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGIES

University of Rostock
Interdisciplinary research is being conducted at the University of Rostock on methods for the storage and use of hydrogen and its implementation in fuel cells. The focus of the holistic investigation of the process chain is on maritime application areas

Websites: Institute of Technical Thermodynamics and Institute of Piston Machines and Internal Combustion Engines

Hydrogen flagship projects Germany

H2MARE-PROJECT TRANSFERWIND

Wismar University of Applied Sciences
The hydrogen flagship project H2Mare aims to exploit the potential of offshore turbines by using renewable electricity offshore to produce hydrogen and its secondary products. TransferWind aims to answer overarching issues concerning all H2Mare projects and combines the results of the other H2Mare projects. In addition, the project establishes a continuous exchange between science, industry, politics, and civil society. On this basis, measures can be drawn up to ensure the safe and secure construction and operation of future offshore facilities.