Once a quiet town whose traditional industries struggled to keep up with a fast-changing world, Wunsiedel changed course by developing a thriving power sector that relied on solar, wind and biomass, supported with a battery storage system. The industry has not only reduced carbon emissions, but has also become a profitable business that generated jobs for its local population and improved their quality of life. Now, the town is taking power production capabilities to the next level by building one of the largest green hydrogen plants in Germany.
Siemens is supporting the building of the hydrogen production plant, which marked its groundbreaking in July this year. The facility will start with a generation capacity of 8.75 MW, producing up to 1350 tons of hydrogen per year using only renewable energy from solar or wind power. The hydrogen will be used in transportation and industry, allowing for CO2 savings of up to 13,500 tons annually.
Siemens Smart Infrastructure is the general contractor for the plant, with Siemens Financial Services (SFS) holding a 45 percent share in the operating company responsible for the plant, WUN H2 GmbH. The produced hydrogen is used not only as raw material, but also as a long-term storage medium, adding flexibility to the power grid. Its by-products of oxygen and waste heat are also integrated into the energy cycle.‘The power reset’ will be made available in more countries in the near future.
