Shell, Linde and ITM Advance Europe's Green Hydrogen Future
Shell, Linde and ITM Power are joining forces to construct a 100MW hydrogen plant in Germany, marking a significant step in expanding Europe’s clean hydrogen infrastructure.
Known as REFHYNE II, the facility aims to produce up to 44,000kg of renewable hydrogen daily, aligning with Shell’s commitment to reducing emissions and advancing the hydrogen economy.
Shell’s push towards renewable hydrogen
The new REFHYNE II plant, set to begin operations in 2027, will be built by Linde Engineering. This project underlines Shell’s strategy of delivering more value with fewer emissions.
Huibert Vigeveno, Shell's Downstream, Renewables and Energy Solutions Director, emphasised the importance of this investment in the company's long-term goals.
“This marks an important milestone in delivering our strategy of more value with less emissions,” he said. “Investing in REFHYNE II is a visible demonstration of our commitment to the hydrogen economy, which will play an important role in helping to decarbonise Shell’s operations and customer products.
“Our decision to invest illustrates what can be achieved with the right enabling conditions to deliver competitive projects.”
The importance of clean hydrogen
Hydrogen is pivotal to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as its only byproduct when used as fuel is water. It has the potential to power a wide range of applications — from heavy-duty vehicles to electricity generation — without emitting CO₂.
However, most hydrogen produced today is grey hydrogen, generated from natural gas through steam methane reforming (SMR), which releases CO₂. In contrast, green hydrogen — produced through electrolysis — splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. REFHYNE II will use this process to generate clean hydrogen, contributing to the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries.
“Hydrogen will play a key role in decarbonising energy-intensive industrial sectors and Linde is at the forefront of developing the technology needed to achieve this,” said John van der Velden, SVP Global Sales & Technology at Linde Engineering. “This project draws on our decades of experience in developing hydrogen projects at scale worldwide and we are proud to have been selected by Shell to help deliver its vision for REFHYNE II.
“This project also demonstrates how strong political commitment and supportive incentives can help progress the development of the hydrogen economy.”
REFHYNE II: A milestone in Europe's hydrogen strategy
The REFHYNE II project is a critical component of the European Commission’s Clean Hydrogen Partnership, which aims to supply clean refinery hydrogen across Europe. This initiative builds on the success of the original REFHYNE project, which began in 2018 with a 10MW electrolyser capable of producing 1,300 tonnes of hydrogen annually.
The hydrogen produced by REFHYNE I has been used for refining processes at the Wesseling site and for testing PEM technology at an unprecedented scale.
Andrew Beard, Shell’s Vice President for Hydrogen, said: "With the 100MW electrolysis REFHYNE II, we are further advancing Shell’s goal of being a net zero emissions company by 2050. For Shell Energy & Chemicals Park Rheinland, REFHYNE II is a great investment and a milestone in its transition.
“The project will benefit from the experience that Shell and its partners Linde and ITM have in the development, construction and operation of other renewable hydrogen projects in Europe.”
ITM Power, responsible for manufacturing the first REFHYNE plant, will provide 100MW of TRIDENT stacks and skids for REFHYNE II.
Dennis Schulz, ITM’s Chief Executive Officer, added: “Shell is a leading global energy company and we are proud they have selected us for this prestigious project. The performance of our latest generation electrolyser stacks in the REFHYNE I plant played an important role in Shell’s proceeding to FID, as did their extensive due diligence on our technology and our capability to deliver this large-scale commercial project.”
REFHYNE II is more than just a plant — it represents a significant leap towards achieving a sustainable, hydrogen-powered future for Europe.
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