Messer, the largest privately owned company specializing in industrial, medical, and specialty gases, has announced plans to build a new green hydrogen production facility in the Brainergy Park Jülich, an industrial estate dedicated to advancing “new energies” and the “energy transition.” The plant will be managed by HyDN GmbH, a collaboration between the district of Düren and Messer.
With a 10-megawatt capacity and the ability to produce up to 180 kilograms of hydrogen per hour, this facility will rank among the larger green hydrogen plants in Germany. The primary use of the hydrogen will be to power fuel cell buses, enhancing the region’s public transportation infrastructure. Currently, five eco-friendly buses are operational within Düren, and an additional 20 are expected by November 2024.
NEUMAN & ESSER has been contracted to supply two electrolyzers for hydrogen production and two membrane compressors for its compression. Messer will handle the storage, bottling, and quality assurance of the produced hydrogen. Virginia Esly, COO Europe at Messer, emphasized the project’s strategic importance, stating, “For Messer, this project is another important strategic step in supporting our customers in decarbonization. We are involved in the engineering of the hydrogen production plant, will take over the operation of the plant in the long term and will sell the green hydrogen. With this project, we are making an important contribution to climate protection by reducing environmentally harmful CO2 emissions.”
The green hydrogen plant is expected to commence operations in autumn 2025. Its construction is supported by a substantial grant of approximately 14.7 million euros from the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMDV), under the National Innovation Program Hydrogen 2 (NIP2).
