21 Jun 2018

Power and gas grid operators jointly push power-to-gas in Germany

Amprion / Open Grid Europe

Power transmission grid operator Amprion and gas transmission grid operator Open Grid Europe (OGE) want to test power-to-gas (PtG) technologies on an industrial scale in Germany to better integrate electricity with the other sectors, the companies announced in a press release. They want to build 50-100 megawatt (MW) facilities, where today’s pilot plants in Germany have a capacity of only 6 MW. PtG uses renewable power to produce synthetic hydrogen and methane through electrolysis and methanation. This could provide carbon-free or carbon-neutral fuel for heating and transport, and pave the way for large-scale seasonal energy storage. “We need the breakthrough in Germany. It’s time to open the doors for sector coupling on an industrial scale,” said Stephan Kamphues, managing director of Vier Gas Transport GmbH, parent company of OGE.

Find the press release in German here.

For background, read the new CLEW factsheets Power-to-gas: Fix for all problems or simply too expensive? and Sector coupling - Shaping an integrated renewable energy system.

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Power and gas grid operators jointly push power-to-gas in Germany

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