While the current facility feeds pure hydrogen (so-called “WindGas”) directly into the gas grid, the new methanation plant provides for the generation of “green” methane. In this second stage, hydrogen from regenerative energy sources is converted into methane (CH4), i.e. synthetic natural gas, using CO2 from a bio-ethanol plant.
This milestone project was celebrated together with about 150 stakeholders and was opened by a few greeting words from Dr. Ing. Axel Wietfeld (Managing Director of Uniper Energy Storage GmbH). The greeting then disembogued in a series of speeches started by Dr. Ing. Ehler (EPP/CDU, European Parliament member for Brandenburg), Jochen Homann (President of the Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railways), Frank Gröschl (Head of Technology and Innovation Management at the DVGW German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water), Eckhardt Rümmler (Chief Operating Officer of Uniper SE), Helmut Knauthe (Chief Technology Officer of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG) followed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Kolb (KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) about the necessity of such technology hubs like in Falkenhagen to be able to demonstrate the potential of CO2-neutral gas produced through the power-to-gas technology and therefore the decisive contribution to achieving Europe’s de-carbonization and energy goals.
In summary, the event was a great success and milestone for the STORE&GO project, as well as for the entire gas industry.
