INEOS Köln awarded €770,000 for green hydrogen study

INEOS Köln is to receive €770,000 for its ChemCH2ange green Hydrogen feasibility study which aims to cut CO2 by more than 100,000 tonnes per year.

The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia confirmed the funding to support a feasibility study for the construction of a 100MW water electrolysis plant for the production of green hydrogen at the INEOS site in Köln/Dormagen.

The feasibility study will investigate how the green hydrogen production plant can be efficiently implemented at the INEOS Verbund site. The support from the state will cover "a quarter of the eligible costs".

The hydrogen produced in the new plant using only renewable energy is to be used directly in the ammonia production plant at the site and, potentially in the future, for the production of methanol.

The climate-neutral production could also cover hydrogen needs in the Chempark and beyond, including regional transport

The project forms part of INEOS' €2bn package of green hydrogen projects across Europe announced in October last year.

Dr Stephan Müller, Commercial Energy Manager at INEOS in Köln, said: “Water electrolysis for the production of green hydrogen is an incredibly important component of our ambitious sustainability agenda with the goal of reaching net zero by 2045. The funding decision shows the significance that the state of NRW attaches to our project.”

Former Minister of Economics and Innovation Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart said the project is an important step on the way to a climate-neutral chemical industry in North Rhine-Westphalia.

"North Rhine-Westphalia will become a model location for innovative value chains and the project shows how important hydrogen is in this process," he said.

"In future, the project can supply not only the Köln Chempark but also logistics with green hydrogen. We need precisely such holistic projects to be successful in the transformation.”

INEOS Energy recently signed a Heads-of-Agreement with Sempra Infrastructure for the potential supply of 1.4mn tonnes per annum of LNG from North America for 20 years, marking its entry into the global LNG market (click here). 

INEOS Oligomers has announced a phased 50% expansion of its LaPorte, Texas, High Viscosity (HV) PAO unit, fully effective by mid-2025.