ABO Energy has received official approval from the Kassel Regional Council in accordance with the Federal Immission Control Regulation (BImSchG– Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz) for the company’s first hydrogen project.
A pilot project is currently being developed in Hünfeld-Michelsrombach near Fulda in the state of Hesse, consisting of a wind turbine, green hydrogen production facilities and a hydrogen refuelling station with a trailer filling system. On 30 September 2024, the Kassel District President Mark Weinmeister handed over the approval notice to ABO Energy at the site. The permit for the wind turbine was already granted in the middle of last year.
Thanks to the receipt of the early construction permit, work has been underway on the site of the Hessisches Kegelspiel logistics park since May 2024. It began with earthworks and excavation. Pipework, foundations, walls and the petrol station roof are currently under construction. The aim is to complete the construction and installation work and to begin operating the plant technology in the first quarter of 2025. The filling station is scheduled to open in April 2025.
“The electricity for the production of the green hydrogen is being generated by a wind turbine two kilometres away, which is connected to the electrolyser via a direct line,” says Dr. Jochen Ahn, one of the founder members and Managing Directors of ABO Energy, describing the special feature of the project. “This is the ideal way to produce green hydrogen locally,” he says. However, since a wind turbine alone does not produce enough electricity to keep the electrolyser running at full capacity, ABO Energy is planning to install an additional ten megawatts of photovoltaic capacity nearby. In addition, green electricity will be purchased from the grid.
The project is also special for the Kassel Regional Council, as it is the first electrolyser that the authority has approved. District President Mark Weinmeister says: “Due to its central location, the NordOstHessen region plays a key role in the energy transition as well as in the mobility transition. The ABO Energy project is linking these sectors in an innovative manner and is consequently opening the door to a more sustainable future. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the employees of my office who conducted the approval procedure in a competent and expeditious manner.”
Another crucial factor in the project’s success is the close and successful cooperation with the town of Hünfeld, which has been in place from the outset. Mayor Benjamin Tschesnok was also present at the handover of the approval notice: “We have supported this forward-looking concept from the very beginning,” he says. “This is because it is becoming increasingly important to break new ground, even beyond pure electric mobility, in order to protect the climate and enable mobility for the future.”
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV – Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr) with a total of twelve million euros as part of the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP). Funding under this measure is also provided as part of the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP – Deutscher Aufbau- und Resilienzplan) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facilities (ARF – Europäische Aufbau- und Resilienzfazilitäten) in the NextGenerationEU programme. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by the project management organisation Jülich (PtJ).
Photo: District President Mark Weinmeister hands over the approval notice to Dr Jochen Ahn. Pictured from left to right: Mayor Benjamin Tschesnok (City of Hünfeld), Dr Jochen Ahn (ABO Energy), Dr Thomas Nietsch (ABO Energy), District President Mark Weinmeister (Kassel Regional Council) and Head of Procedure Christian Rippl (Kassel Regional Council).
Source of original announcement and image rights: ABO Energy