Royal Dutch Shell on Friday announced the startup of the largest hydrogen electrolyser that used polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) technology in Europe. The unit, located at Shell’s Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland, is the first to use PEM technology at such a large scale in a refinery, the company said. Shell said it planned to expand the electrolyser’s capacity from 10 MW to 100 MW but did not specify the timeline.
The unit is part of Shell’s efforts to become a leading supplier of green hydrogen in Germany. It is also in line with the company’s target to cut its emissions to net-zero by 2050. It also plans to use biomass and renewable power to produce sustainable aviation fuel at the Rheinland site. It is also working on developing bio-LNG at the site. The new electrolyser will use renewable electricity to produce up to 1,300 tons/year of green hydrogen. It will initially be used to produce low-carbon fuels and help decarbonise other sectors.
