ABB secures a Danish hydrogen project

ABB has been awarded a contract by the Danish company H2 Energy Esbjerg to provide fundamental electrical engineering services for their 1GW green hydrogen production facility in Esbjerg, Denmark.

This assignment involves managing the power distribution from the grid connection point to the electrolyzers and other process equipment at the Esbjerg production facility.

This facility, one of the largest hydrogen projects in Europe, is expected to produce around 90,000 tons of hydrogen annually, which is roughly equivalent to 1.9 million barrels of oil each year.

Additionally, ABB’s responsibilities encompass H2 Energy Esbjerg’s hydrogen distribution center in Fredericia, Denmark.

This project, which was secured in the third quarter of 2023, will further enhance ABB’s expertise in the Power-to-X (PtX) sector for green hydrogen development. ABB already has ongoing collaborations in PtX projects in Sweden, Norway, and other regions of Denmark.

The Esbjerg PtX facility, set to commence operations by 2027, will convert renewable electricity generated from offshore wind into green hydrogen.

This hydrogen will play a crucial role in decarbonizing heavy industry and road transportation. Furthermore, it may also be used in the production of environmentally friendly e-fuels such as methanol and ammonia.

Head of Northern Europe at ABB Energy Industries, Per-Erik Holsten, said “ABB is focused on supporting the EU’s priority to develop renewable hydrogen.”

“We are increasingly active in the pioneering Power-to-X market which is essential in meeting global energy transition goals and achieving a low carbon society in the future.”

Project director of H2 Energy Esbjerg, Julian O’Connell, said “It was important to collaborate with a company that has the knowledge of managing energy consumption and optimizing energy efficiency during green hydrogen production.”

“It is also critical to ensure we have a reliable and readily available supply of power to support operations at the distribution hub.”

The H2 Energy Esbjerg ApS project is anticipated to generate around 60 permanent positions and provide sufficient green hydrogen to fulfill the annual fuel consumption needs of over 10,000 trucks, approximately half of Denmark’s total truck fleet, as well as serving the heavy industry.

According to the Global Hydrogen Review from the International Energy Agency, there is a rapidly expanding pipeline of projects aimed at producing low-emission hydrogen.

If all these projects come to fruition, it is projected that the annual production capacity could reach up to 24 million metric tons by 2030.