RWE will take over the gas-fired power plant called 'Magnum' from Vattenfall. This gas-fired power station is located in the Eemshaven in the province of Groningen. The two companies have agreed to this. The power plant, which has been in operation since 2013, is an ultra-modern gas power plant and has a capacity of 1.4 gigawatts.
The Magnum power station is close to the existing RWE power station in Eemshaven. This is a coal and biomass-fired power plant with a capacity of 1.560 megawatts. An advantage of the power stations being close together is that they can share the existing infrastructure.
Gas power plant is suitable for hydrogen
Thanks to the specific design of the Magnum plant, it is suitable for running on green hydrogen. The plant can be technically adapted to burn hydrogen (up to 30%) or even switch entirely to this fuel as a replacement for natural gas. As a result, the Magnum plant will be a key player in making the Dutch energy sector CO2 - free. Moreover, this further expands the hydrogen infrastructure in the province of Groningen. RWE is already active here with the 'Eemshydrogen' project.
Sopna Sury, COO Hydrogen of RWE Generation SE: “With the takeover of the Magnum power station in Eemshaven, we are strengthening the Eemshydrogen project. Here we want to enable large-scale production of green hydrogen so that it becomes affordable. Green hydrogen plays an important role in decarbonizing industry and is therefore indispensable for the success of the energy transition.”
Since 2020, RWE has been developing Eemshydrogen, an innovative project in the Eemshaven for the environmentally friendly production of hydrogen. As part of the tender for the Hollandse Kust West VII offshore wind farm, RWE also wants to build electrolysers with a total capacity of 600 megawatts. This gives the province of Groningen a strong position within the Dutch hydrogen economy.
Eemshaven area can become CO2 negative
With the help of new techniques, carbon capture and storage (CCS) will be possible in the future, because the Magnum and Eemshaven plants are located close to the North Sea and the former natural gas fields. This will ensure neutral CO₂ emissions in the area, likely even negative CO₂ emissions . RWE therefore hopes to receive the required government support to make this technically, politically, and economically feasible.
Gasunie is currently developing LNG terminals (liquid natural gas) in the same area. These can be additionally supported by, for example, heat supplied by RWE's power stations.
By combining all these smart technologies and solutions, RWE makes Eemshaven one of the leading energy and hydrogen hubs in Northwestern Europe.
Completion of acquisition at the end of September 2022
The acquisition is expected to be completed around the end of September 2022. The agreed purchase price is 500 million euros. Another part of the acquisition concerns a solar installation with a capacity of 5.6 megawatts located on the same site. RWE will take over all staff working at the Magnum power station from Vattenfall. The takeover must still be approved by Vattenfall's works council, among other things.
Source: RWE
Image rights Vattenfall
