Germany’s push to build a domestic green hydrogen economy has reached a new milestone as RWE begins commissioning Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen production plant at Lingen in Lower Saxony. The project marks a decisive step in moving hydrogen from policy ambition to industrial reality, anchoring long-term demand through a supply agreement with TotalEnergies and integrating production into Germany’s emerging hydrogen transport network. The facility currently entering technical testing consists of a 100 megawatt electrolyser and represents the first stage of the GET H2 Nukleus project. Commercial production is expected to start in 2026, with RWE planning to expand total capacity at the site to 300 megawatts by 2027. Once fully built out, the project will stand well ahead of most European peers in both scale and system integration.

The Lingen site, located on land previously used for conventional power generation, reflects how legacy energy infrastructure is being repurposed for the next phase of decarbonisation. By situating the electrolyser close to renewable power sources and existing grid connections, RWE aims to reduce development risk while accelerating delivery timelines. Early investment decisions played a critical role. RWE placed initial equipment orders as early as 2022, well before public funding frameworks were finalised. Two 100 megawatt electrolysers were sourced from a consortium led by Linde and ITM Power, while a third unit based on alkaline technology was ordered from German supplier Sunfire. Locking in equipment early helped the project avoid supply chain bottlenecks that have delayed several other European hydrogen developments. If the full 300 megawatt capacity is achieved on schedule, Lingen will significantly exceed the scale of other operational projects in the region, including BASF’s recently commissioned electrolyser in Ludwigshafen.

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While the commissioning of Europe’s largest green hydrogen plant is symbolically significant, the economics remain challenging. The cost of producing EU-compliant green hydrogen in Germany via alkaline electrolysis, using renewable power purchase agreements, was estimated at €7.54 per kilogram, or about $8.86 per kilogram, in mid-December. These production costs are still far above those of fossil-based hydrogen, underscoring why long-term offtake contracts and policy support mechanisms are critical for investment decisions. RWE has pointed to the technical maturity of the GET H2 Nukleus project and the inclusion of storage infrastructure as factors that helped secure bankable, long-term terms with TotalEnergies.

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For industrial players, the Lingen facility shows that large-scale hydrogen supply is beginning to move beyond demonstration projects toward contracted, infrastructure-backed delivery. For investors, it highlights the importance of projects that integrate generation, transport, storage and committed demand, rather than relying solely on future policy support. At a strategic level, the commissioning reinforces Germany’s position as a cornerstone of Europe’s hydrogen ambitions. As the national hydrogen backbone takes shape, projects like Lingen will test whether Europe can close the gap between climate targets and commercial viability, particularly as lower-cost hydrogen production accelerates in regions such as the Middle East and the Americas. The next phase, expanding capacity to the full 300 megawatts, will be closely watched. Its success or delay will serve as a critical signal of whether green hydrogen at industrial scale can earn both market trust and financial sustainability in Europe’s decarbonising economy.

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