Many states, cities, counties and countries have set themselves the goal of becoming climate neutral. The Rhine district of Neuss is no exception. The cities and municipalities of Dormagen, Grevenbroich, Jüchen, Kaarst, Korschenbroich, Meerbusch, Neuss and Rommerskirchen are working to reduce climate-impacting gas emissions such as CO2 to zero. It is commendable that they are relying on hydrogen as one of the pillars of tomorrow’s green energy system, but this is not a unique selling point. The district is very far ahead in its implementation. It has now outlined exactly what its path to a hydrogen future will look like with its hydrogen roadmap, which was recently presented in Neuss.
The key points: Production and demand are there. In many places, the transformation is stalling because these very points are too uncertain. With its concrete prospects, the Rhine district of Neuss has the opportunity to become a pioneer. According to the roadmap, hydrogen production is to begin first with newly installed electrolysers and a volume of around 15,000 tonnes per year. ‘This is possible by the end of 2027,’ said Dr Thomas Kattenstein from the planning office DMT ENERGY ENGINEERS GmbH, which drew up the roadmap over the past nine months in collaboration with the Rhine district of Neuss and the Hydrogen Hub Rhine District Neuss/Rhineland association.
Ammonia cracker and core network
The next important milestone on the road to a hydrogen future is the construction of the first ammonia cracker in the port of Neuss by 2030. Ammonia will then be delivered by ship and broken down into its components, nitrogen and hydrogen, using the cracker so that they can be used further. Potential annual hydrogen availability: 60,000 tonnes. According to Thomas Kattenstein, the third pillar will be the hydrogen core network to which the district will be connected. From 2035, this will enable 300,000 tonnes to be delivered per year.
Availability is guaranteed and potential customers are also foreseeable. This allows the district to overcome two major hurdles. It is the most economically powerful district in North Rhine-Westphalia. Among other things, it is home to energy-intensive industries such as metal, chemicals and paper, which will be dependent on finding climate-friendly alternatives to fossil fuels and materials in the future.
“If it doesn’t work here, it’s hard to imagine where else it could work.” This was stated by Prof. Peter Wasserscheid, spokesperson for the Helmholtz Institute for Sustainable and Infrastructure-Compatible Hydrogen Economy at the Jülich Research Centre, during the presentation of the roadmap. His statement refers to the Rhenish lignite mining area in general, which faces the task of replacing lignite, its old economic backbone, with new technologies, products and jobs from 2030 onwards. The region benefits from the expertise available locally in industry, universities and research institutions. This is particularly true for the Rhine district of Neuss, which also has the great advantage of having three sources of hydrogen in the future.
“There are milestones here”
Stefanie Peters, managing director of the family-owned company Neuman & Esser and member of the National Hydrogen Council, congratulated the Rhine district of Neuss on the results of the roadmap. “There are milestones here. We need exactly these concrete projects.” Like the other speakers that evening in Neuss, she called on everyone present to get started right away. “We have to get started. Projects for 2030 have to begin now. That’s why we shouldn’t wait for the core network to be in place. We have to start production now.”
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