British Petroleum (BP) wants to investigate the construction of a new hydrogen hub in Wilhelmshaven. As part of the project, BP would build an ammonia cracker that could provide up to 130,000 tons of low-carbon hydrogen from green ammonia every year from 2028. Green ammonia, which is produced from a combination of nitrogen and hydrogen extracted from water by electrolysis, is to be supplied to Wilhelmshaven by BP's international green hydrogen projects.
The cracker converts green ammonia into green hydrogen by splitting the larger molecule into its smaller nitrogen and hydrogen components. These can be used directly after the process. The plant could produce a total of up to 130,000 tons of hydrogen per year. This corresponds to an energy content of 4.3 TWh - an H2 demand of 95-130 TWh is expected for 2030. If the market for new fuels develops accordingly, it would be possible to expand the project. The project is to build on the existing infrastructure of the NWO terminal in Wilhelmshaven, in which BP already has a stake. With its deep-water port and pipeline system, it is one of the country's most important energy terminals and a key pillar for the energy transition in Germany. BP is also proposing to use existing unused oil pipelines and convert existing gas pipeline infrastructure for hydrogen transportation. The low-carbon hydrogen could then be delivered to customers in the Ruhr region and other demand centers. The planned project is the latest in a series of hydrogen projects by BP in Germany. It follows on from the Get H2 Nukleus and Lingen Green Hydrogen projects. Together they will help energy-intensive sectors such as the chemical and steel industries to reduceCO2 emissions in their production processes.
