Issue 6/2022 – WACKER reapplies for EU funding for green hydrogen, renewable methanol projects

WACKER reapplies for EU funding for green hydrogen, renewable methanol projects

On March 7, Wacker submitted another request for funding to the EU for the production
of green hydrogen and renewable methanol at its Burghausen site.
WACKER applied for funding from the EU Innovation Fund (RHYME Bavaria) in 2020 for the project called the Bavarian Renewable Hydrogen and Methanol Project, and won more than 200 projects in the first round, but despite excellent ratings, failed to receive jury approval
in the final round.

The RHYME Bavaria project envisages the construction of a 20MW water electrolysis hydrogen production line in Burghausen to produce hydrogen from water and renewable electricity, which will then be processed into renewable methanol together with carbon dioxide from existing production processes; Methanol is an important raw material
for chemical products such as silicones.

With a planned capacity of 15,000 tons per year, the new process completely avoids CO2 emissions compared to existing methanol production processes, allowing the CO2 used by RHYME Bavaria to no longer enter the outside air but to be reused
in chemical production processes.
WACKER expects a total investment of around EUR 100 million in the project, with tens of millions of euros
requested from the EU.