Uniper and Siemens Gas and Power have signed a cooperation agreement to develop projects on the decarbonisation of power generation and promoting sector coupling
A focus of the planned cooperation is the production and use of ?green hydrogen? ?hydrogen from renewable energy sources.
The scope of the cooperation agreement includes the evaluation of the potential of Uniper?s existing gas turbines and gas storage facilities for the use of hydrogen. The aim is to define what role hydrogen can play in the future evolution of Uniper?s coal power plants.
Uniper has announced that it would close or convert its coal-fired power plants in Europe by 2025 at the latest, which is instrumental to make the company achieve its objective of becoming carbon neutral in Europe by 2035.
Siemens Gas and Power is helping its customers achieve their decarbonisation goals. ?Brownfield transformation? projects are designed to decarbonise coal-fired power plants and significantly reduce CO2 emissions from gas-fired power plants, including the integration of storage solutions and the use of ?green gas.? Siemens provides its core technologies for a long-term CO2-free energy supply ? from power and heat generation by renewable energies or gas-fired power plants, to power transmission and distribution, to efficient electrolysis for hydrogen production.
Uniper CEO Andreas Schierenbeck said, ?After the coal phase-out and the switch to a secure gas-based energy supply, the use of climate-friendly gas will be a major step towards successful energy system transformation; therefore, the decarbonisation of the gas industry, including gas-fired power generation, is essential if Germany and Europe are to achieve their climate targets. We are ready to invest and have set the strategic course to significantly accelerate the decarbonisation of our portfolio.?
Jochen Eickholt, energy executive board member at Siemens, commented, ?Here we can show that a CO2-free, environmentally friendly energy supply is possible and makes sense under real conditions and using existing plants. Together, we are working to master the challenges up to series production and use of hydrogen on a large scale and to make this clear to the world.?
?Our future lies in hydrogen. This is what we are committed to as a company,? added Eickholt.
