Waste-to-wheels in Germany
23 November 2022A “waste-to-wheels” study by Tractebel, focusing on the Rhine-Main region in the centre of Germany, shows that waste-to-energy plants could be a cost-effective way to produce green hydrogen to decarbonise transport.
Above: The focus of the Tractebel study: Nordweststadt waste-to-energy plant (Image: Mainova AG)
As part of the HyExperts project MH2Regio, Tractebel developed a strategy for implementing a regional hydrogen infrastructure in Frankfurt/Main. The federal government supported the project with funds from the HyLand funding programme.
The focus was on the Nordweststadt waste-to-energy plant. The Tractebel study set out a technologically and economically optimal concept for a complete hydrogen infrastructure – from electrolysis to delivery to the refuelling station.
Felix Knicker, project engineer at Tractebel, commented that, due to their special circumstances, “waste-to-energy plants have the potential to become nuclei for the development of regional hydrogen infrastructures.” Such plants tend to be located in convenient locations for such a role and “according to our findings, green hydrogen can be produced cheaply at waste-to-energy plants.”