By 2025, a consortium around the Heide refinery wants to put three large-scale plants for sustainable hydrogen use into operation. The large-scale HySCALE100 project is one of 62 projects selected from 230 applications by the federal government for intensive funding. With a capacity of 300 megawatts and a later expansion to 1.5 gigawatts, the planned electrolysis plant will be one of the world's largest plants for climate-friendly hydrogen production. Together with plants for the production of green paraffin and other climate-neutral products, the Heide refinery is thus transforming itself from an oil industry site to the refinery of the future.

Green hydrogen as an energy carrier is seen as a forward-looking solution to compensate for the fluctuating supply of electricity from wind energy generated on the west coast. On windy days, a lot of hydrogen is produced and stored with the wind power. On the other hand, when there are days of calm, wind turbines stand still. Then green hydrogen is taken from the underground storage facility to generate climate-neutral electricity. Modern storage technology is also required for the operation of plants in the petrochemical or cement industries that will use hydrogen directly for sustainable production in the future.

In Hemmingstedt near Heide, the storage facility is being built in an underground system of salt caverns. Together with the hydrogen pipeline, they are an important element of the future world-class hydrogen site. The production and storage of hydrogen in Dithmarschen will contribute to making the supply of sustainably produced energy base-load capable and secure. Hydrogen storage will thus become an important pillar for climate protection - while at the same time ensuring security of supply.