Linde AG

Green light for green hydrogen at Energiepark Mainz - Seite 3

add SWM board members Detlev Höhne and Dr Tobias Brosze, underscoring the
importance of the energy park. "The ability to store surplus electrical
energy decentrally during peak periods of wind power can help integrate
renewable energies into the grid and keep the grid stable". The RheinMain
University of Applied Sciences has been working in this area for many years
and is providing scientific support to the research project, which is set
to run for four years. The findings will be incorporated and evaluated in a
PhD thesis. "At Energiepark Mainz, we can experiment with converting wind
energy into hydrogen on an industrial scale and find out which operational
concepts are the most viable. Being able to cost-effectively and
sustainably harness energy from fluctuating sources such as wind and solar
power is an important long-term goal," enthuses Prof. Birgit Scheppat, head
of the university's hydrogen lab. "We expect this initiative to deliver
exciting, ground-breaking insights that will help us move toward this key
goal".

Minister-president Malu Dreyer praised the energy storage project,
underscoring its pioneering status not just for the city of Mainz but for
the entire state of Rhineland-Palatinate. "The transition to renewable
energies is a major undertaking for the state government - it will extend
over generations and change our society and economy for the long-term.
Using environmentally friendly energy to produce hydrogen is an important
step on the road to climate protection," emphasises Dreyer.

At the ceremony, Mayor Michael Ebling expressed his delight that Mainz was
now home to an innovative research project which had garnered international
attention even before it went on stream. "Both the city of Mainz and
Stadtwerke Mainz have done a great deal to drive the transition to
renewable energies and increase the use of renewables in recent years,"
states Ebling, referring to an agreement stipulating that the city of Mainz
will source 30 percent of its power from renewable energies by 2020. "It's
not just a question of building and operating more wind parks and solar
power plants. We also need to effectively harness this energy," continues
Ebling. "The energy park is an important step here as it enables us to
store renewable energy."

For further information, go to: www.energiepark-mainz.de

Project partners

Stadtwerke Mainz AG is one of the leading municipal utility companies in
Germany. Its sole shareholder is the city of Mainz. The SWM Group provides