Alpiq, EW Höfe and SOCAR Energy Switzerland are planning to build an electrolysis plant with a capacity of up to 10 MW in Freienbach, Switzerland.

The commissioning of the plant is scheduled to start at the end of 2022 and, when completed, it will produce an annual output of around 1000 to 1200 t of green hydrogen to enable zero-emission mobility. In addition, the exhaust heat will be fed into the regional district heating network that is currently being established. The plant will thus set new standards in terms of overall efficiency and make an important contribution to Switzerland’s climate-friendly energy supply.

The green hydrogen will be produced exclusively using electricity from renewable sources direct from the grid in Freienbach. It will be used primarily for mobility – specifically for heavy goods vehicles and applications where battery-electric systems are not a satisfactory solution. The green hydrogen produced in Freienbach could, among other applications, be used to power a maximum of approximately 200 fuel-cell electric commercial vehicles. Compared to the use of diesel trucks, this would prevent the emission of some 14,000 t of CO₂ a year. 

Pipeline to supply hydrogen to the fuelling station at the motorway service area

The planned hydrogen production plant will also play a pioneering role in other respects. The green hydrogen will be transported with zero emissions via a pipeline from the production facility at the former substation to the nearby Fuchsberg motorway service area, where SOCAR will install hydrogen fuelling stations on both sides of the motorway.

Simultaneously, a filling station at the service area will allow the hydrogen that is not sold directly at the Fuchsberg service area to be supplied to other hydrogen fuelling stations in Switzerland. These are currently being built as part of a cross-sector hydrogen mobility system operated by Hydrospider, Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility and the members of the H2 Mobility Switzerland Association. 

Setting new benchmarks in energy efficiency

In addition, the project sets new benchmarks in terms of energy efficiency: In a second phase, the project partners plan to feed the exhaust heat generated during hydrogen production into the regional district heating network that is currently being established by Energie Ausserschwyz. Thus, the hydrogen plant could provide heat to up to 1300 households in the districts of Höfe and March. The possibility of admixing hydrogen into the existing gas distribution network of EW Höfe will also be examined. The existing gas grids represent the ideal infrastructure to introduce renewable energies into the heating market.