A new 2.5 megawatt green hydrogen plant capable of producing up to 350 tonnes of green hydrogen per year began operations today (26th April) in Switzerland, becoming the country’s largest plant of its kind.
Located next to the Reichenau hydropower plant in Domat/Ems, the facility was developed by Axpo and electric utility Rhiienergie, who began construction around a year ago.
The plant creates green hydrogen through water electrolysis powered by hydroelectricity, emitting no carbon dioxide (CO2). The compressed hydrogen can be then transported to refuelling stations and industrial clients.
According to Axpo, the amount of hydrogen produced can replace the use of up to 1.5 million litres of diesel each year.
“There are still a few hurdles to overcome, but we’re convinced of this green, sustainable and renewable energy carrier’s potential,” commented Christoph Brand, CEO at Axpo.
The new facility is also the first of its kind in the Graubünden region, an area home to more than 17 hydropower plants capable of generating at least 700 gigawatt hours of electricity per year.
“The hydrogen plant fits perfectly with the efforts to exploit the potential of green hydrogen in the Alpine region and the canton’s endeavours to achieve its climate and energy goals,” said Dr. Carmelia Maissen, Head of canton’s Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Mobility, who attended the event’s inauguration.
Switzerland and hydrogen
The country boasts a rich history when it comes to hydrogen for transport. In 1813, Franco-Swiss inventor François Isaac de Rivaz came up with the first hydrogen-powered vehicle, a wooden cart equipped with an internal combustion engine.
And in 1838, Swiss chemist and physicist Christian Friedrich Schönbein published the principle of the fuel cell, now used to obtain electricity from hydrogen and oxygen.
However, having once been a hydrogen-powered vehicle pioneer, Switzerland has been accused of falling behind in the green fuel race.
Since Japan developed the world’s first national hydrogen strategy in 2017, other major powers have followed suit, with China, India and US also announcing detailed plans for multi-billion-dollar investments in the emerging industry.
In the EU, the roadmap presented by Brussels in 2020 envisages a tenfold increase in the production of renewable hydrogen to ten million tonnes by 2030. Germany and Italy have decided to allocate €9bn and €3.6bn for hydrogen projects.
Although the Swiss government has alluded to renewable hydrogen being an important part of achieving its goal to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050, the country still lacks a formal hydrogen strategy.
“It seems that Switzerland is simply standing by and watching while its EU neighbours act,” said the Conference of Cantonal Energy Directors in a statement issued in August last year.
In late 2023, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy told SWI swissinfo.ch that it will present a national hydrogen strategy in the second half of 2024.
