BASF starts up 54MW electrolyser to replace 8,000 tonnes of grey hydrogen

German chemicals maker BASF has put a 54MW electrolyser into operation to replace up to 8,000 tonnes of grey hydrogen used at its Ludwigshafen facility per year.

Hydrogen produced by the Siemens Energy PEM electrolyser will be fed into the facility’s Verbund network and distributed across its various chemicals production plants.

H2 View understands BASF plans to supply some of the system’s output for use in mobility applications in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region.

It comes under the Hy4Chem project, which was supported by €124.3m in funding from the Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) scheme.

The new system marks the first time that electrolytic hydrogen has been produced at the Ludwigshafen site, which has previously produced it through steam methane reforming or by-products.

“The new electrolyser at the Ludwigshafen location represents an important milestone and supports the achievement of Rhineland-Palatine’s climate protection targets,” said Katrin Eder, state minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy and Mobility.

According to BASF, the new electrolyser “has the potential” to cut its main plant’s emissions by up to 72,000 tonnes per year.

While the installation will go some way to cut the site’s emissions, Katja Scharpwinkel, BASF board member, said it will allow the firm to gain experience in integrating the technology within chemical plants.

She explained, “We are gaining experience at our largest Verbund site with the integration and operation of a system that brings us another step closer to transforming our main plant in Ludwigshafen.”

Hydrogen is a widely used feedstock in chemicals production, with the vast majority coming from unabated fossil fuel sources. The Hydrogen Council’s latest report estimated that 75% of 2030 clean hydrogen production will come from established use cases.