EWE, Verbund unveil 500MW green hydrogen project through new JV

German energy firm EWE and Austrian electric provider Verbund have unveiled plans for a 500MW green hydrogen project in Germany launched under their new joint venture (JV).

The CHC Electrolysis JadeWeser project aims to produce 50,000 tonnes per year by 2032 and connect to Germany’s planned hydrogen pipeline backbone by an undisclosed date.

The German-Austrian JV, which was earlier this year by the European Commission, did not name specific offtakers, but said the plant would support security of supply.

Located in the Wesermarsch region, the project would be co-located with hydrogen cavern storage facilities and could expand into the gigawatt range.

The duo said the site had logistical advantages including a water supply, existing industrial infrastructure, and proximity to transportation corridors.

However, the partners raised the “additional burden” of renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) compliance in relation to power procurement, calling for “further regulatory adjustments” to be made.

It will add to the companies’ combined 400MW of green hydrogen capacity in operation or development. This includes EWE’s , planned for operation by next year, and Verbund’s planned in Salzburg, Austria.

The announcement follows recent questions around the future of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III). Two separate leaked documents have challenged the composition of the directive’s future RFNBO mandates.

A leaked in September proposed current nation-specific objectives could be replaced with a non-binding bloc-wide goal. An older, more document from Germany’s BMWE also suggested replacing sector-specific goals with broader, binding cross-sector targets.