Schaeffler teams with Lhyfe on 15MW green hydrogen plant

The electrolysis plant will be located at Schaeffler’s Herzogenaurach factory in Bavaria. According to a letter of intent signed by the two parties, the plant will produce green hydrogen not only for Schaeffler’s own operations at Herzogenaurach, but also to other Bavarian companies looking to decarbonise. It is claimed the new facility will deliver 3.7 tonnes of green hydrogen per day, starting in 2025.

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“The switch from fossil fuels to renewable energies plays a central role in our goal of climate-neutral production until 2030,” said Andreas Schick, member of the board of managing directors for production, supply chain management and purchasing at Schaeffler AG.

“By partnering with Lhyfe, we have managed to team up with one of the most innovative companies to execute on the green hydrogen plant on our premises in Herzogenaurach. The agreement underlines Schaeffler's commitment to sustainability and hydrogen technology.”

Alongside helping to decarbonise Schaeffler’s industrial processes at Herzogenaurach, potential third party customers for the hydrogen produced at the plant include local municipalities as well as hydrogen filling stations. Waste heat generated by electrolysis will also be fed into the industrial processes within the Schaeffler plant in an effort to further reduce the carbon impact of the company’s operations.

“Large-scale projects like the one by Schaeffler prove the readiness of the technology, provide confidence and security in the market and strengthen the appetite for investment,” said Luc Graré, head of Central and Eastern Europe at Lhyfe.

“We are proud to support a giant company like the Schaeffler AG in its transformation towards a climate-neutral production by 2030. The rapid supply of green hydrogen continues to be a massive task.”

Lhyfe recently launched a UK-based subsidiary in North East England, where it believes hydrogen can play a prominent role in decarbonising the industrial processes of the region. In October, its announced plans to build a 200MW plant in the Netherlands, capable of producing more than 20,000 tons of renewable green hydrogen per year.