Hydrogen Storage Power Plant

The region of Lusatia in eastern Germany is one of the areas most affected by the country’s decision to phase out coal mining by 2038 at the latest. As part of a larger support package, a reference hydrogen storage power plant project will be funded in the region and tested under real-world conditions.

The plant will have a capacity of ten megawatts, and a consortium to build it has already been formed among network operators, energy company LEAG, Siemens and the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg. “This cooperation between business and academia showcases the cooperative synergy that typify the German business location” says GTAI expert Heiko Staubitz, Senior Manager for investor consulting.

The new initiative comes as part of a national competition of ideas for testing out solutions to Germany’s transition to renewable energy. The mayor of Cottbus called it a bombshell.

The German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy has earmarked 100 million euros a year to support winning projects from the competition. The federal government has set aside 200 million euros annually to help regions affected by the coal phase-out.