RWE plans to construct hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants at its former sites in Germany by 2030 to aid in coal phase-out efforts. The company has awarded the project contract to an Italian-Spanish international consortium, paving the way for an 800-MW hydrogen-capable combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant at its Weisweiler site.
The Ansaldo Energia (Italy) and Técnicas Reunidas (Spain) consortium was chosen through a tender process for the planned power plant.
Approval planning for the plant will commence promptly, and the ordering of power plant components and construction commissioning will be finalised after a final investment decision.
RWE Generation SE CEO Roger Miesen: “With the commissioned approval planning, we advance to keep open the chance of completion by 2030. RWE is ready to make a contribution to green supply security by building hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants, thus enabling the phase-out of coal in 2030.
“To achieve this, the political course needs to be set quickly: only when the hydrogen grid connections are secured and the economic operation of the power plants is made possible by suitable framework conditions, we can make final investment decisions.”
The German government plans to establish a regulatory framework for tenders involving hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants, and RWE intends to take part in these initiatives. With the recently revealed expansion plans for the hydrogen infrastructure, the Weisweiler site may benefit from its proximity to a potential hydrogen pipeline, as outlined by the German national authority for grid regulation.
The recently signed contract covers the initial phase of approval planning for the plant, which enables RWE to swiftly proceed with implementation when the right framework conditions are in place.
The remaining two contract phases involve the ordering of central power plant components and the construction of the facility. These stages will be activated once all necessary permits are acquired and the overall economic viability of the project is established. According to the current timeline, this could occur by 2025, allowing the plant to begin electricity production by the end of the decade.
RWE is also actively exploring the possibility of constructing hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants at other locations.
