Borsig ZM Compression GmbH (Borsig) has completed the factory run test of the first of three Bx36 series reciprocating compressors for the RWE Gas Storage West GmbH (RGSW) hydrogen cavern storage project in Gronau-Epe. Each compressor is rated 3753 hp (2800 kW) and offers a control range that allows for the initial filling and all future operational scenarios of the storage facility, the company said.
The hydrogen cavern storage facility in Gronau-Epe will be the first commercially operated underground hydrogen storage in Germany, providing a usable storage capacity of around 1.3 Bcf (38 x 106 m3). The site in Gronau-Epe is an ideal hydrogen storage location due to its proximity to the planned long-distance hydrogen pipeline between Lingen and the Ruhr area and its optimal geological conditions for natural as well as hydrogen storage.
RGSW is expanding the existing above-ground facility at Kottiger Hook to include additional hydrogen injection and withdrawal sections as well as the ancillary facilities required for operation. RGSW plans to repurpose a cavern currently used to store natural gas and fill it with hydrogen. RGSW is constructing a pipeline system to connect the cavern with the above-ground facilities.
