HYTE — A Two-Week Hydrogen Trail Across Europe
Young professionals dive into the hydrogen revolution's latest developments
Together with three other young professionals, Lucy Schwarz, Project Manager Hydrogen at Uniper, embarked on a two-week hydrogen journey across Europe. As part of the Hydrogen Trail Europe (HYTE) event, which ran from June 26 to July 9, 2022, the young professionals visited various companies across different industries who all work with hydrogen, including the Uniper site in Wilhelmshaven. Together with organizer and Editor-in-Chief of Industrielinqs Wim Raaijen, they traveled from the Netherlands, across Germany to Switzerland, onto Spain, along the west coast of France to Belgium and through the Netherlands back to Düsseldorf.
During this journey, they found out about steps currently being taken in the European hydrogen industry, how these measures help to reduce the use of other raw materials such as natural gas and how they fit into the broader transformation of the industry. During the tour, the participants gained a deeper insight into the overall system.
For Lucy, one highlight of the trip was visiting the Uniper site. The "Green Wilhelmshaven" project is aiming to establish a hydrogen hub at the site. This hub will include both hydrogen production via electrolysis and the import of hydrogen via ammonia. The "ammonia cracker"—an NH3 splitting plant—would convert ammonia into green hydrogen and nitrogen and would be the first large-scale plant of its kind.
"Not only did we get the chance to see the inside of an old coal-fired power plant, but we also saw the location where the terminal will be built and the hydrogen will be produced. We got a chance to experience the energy transition close up and learned about future plans for hydrogen," Lucy says. "Traveling across Europe and learning all about the hydrogen revolution sounded like an exciting adventure right from the start. But from the very first day, HYTE exceeded all of my expectations."
The young professionals visited a number of other companies, including HyStock, Gasunie, Shell, BASF, Lhyfe, HyCC, Nobian, Alpiq and Air Liquide. "When we arrived at the sites, we always asked the people there: 'How is each site focusing on hydrogen for their company? Is what is currently happening in the world accelerating or slowing down the hydrogen process?' All of our different perspectives stimulated some very interesting conversations," says Lucy. Presentations about the current state of affairs and about future plans, alongside guided tours of the companies, allowed the four young professionals to learn about how various industries produce and use hydrogen. "Everyone has the same goal, but how they implement it is often very different. From differing fields of application to specific requirements and regulations, each country varies greatly. The construction of a hydrogen network also differs depending on the country. To be able to understand the future potential as well as the remaining obstacles, it's essential that people are aware of the differences between each country."
As well as actively driving forward the hydrogen revolution, Uniper also supports young professionals' development by sponsoring projects such as HYTE. "The HYTE experience is probably the steepest learning curve I have ever had and ever will have. I will be able to use my new knowledge about the hydrogen system in future projects. I was also able to expand my personal network due to meeting so many interesting experts," concludes Lucy.
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