The current change in the European energy market requires sufficient storage capacities for the emerging use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. In Gronau-Epe the site is an ideal hydrogen storage location due to its proximity to the planned long-distance hydrogen pipeline between Lingen and the Ruhr area in combination with the optimal geological conditions for natural as well as hydrogen storages.

RGSW is therefore planning to expand the existing above-ground facilities to include facilities for injection and withdrawing hydrogen and store it in caverns. The first stage of construction, the plant will be constructed in such a way that approx. 70 million m³ of hydrogen may be in stock and thereof a volume of 38 million m³ will be available for customers to store hydrogen. For this purpose it is planned to ...

• ... to expand the existing above-ground facility at Kottiger Hook on the existing site to include additional hydrogen injection and withdrawal sections as well as the ancillary facilities required for operation.
• ... to install a well completion in the brine filled cavern for hydrogen operation and fill a cavern with hydrogen
• … to repurpose a cavern currently used to store natural gas for hydrogen operation and fill this cavern with hydrogen
• ... to construct a pipeline system to connect the cavern with the above-ground facilities (field pipeline).

A second construction stage of the hydrogen plant unit might later enable an increase of the injection and withdrawal capacity. A related project was reported to the EU at the end of 2022 for inclusion on the list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI).

Up to now, RWE Gas Storage West GmbH is storing L-gas in 10 caverns at its Epe L-Gas site. The injection and withdrawal station required for this was approved in several construction stages in the so-called general operating plan procedure.

The last expansion in the period 2010-2012 was approved as the 4th addendum to the general operating plan with a planning approval decision.

RWE Gas Storage West GmbH submitted the first documents for the approval procedure to the Arnsberg regional government in the form of a planning notification on 28 April 2022 and requested that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is carried out.

In a first procedural step, the Arnsberg regional government determined the required scope of the EIA with the participation of further authorities and public interest groups. RWE Gas Storage West submit the general operating plan including the necessary documents for the EIA on 20 February 2023.

The public announcement was made on March 24, 2023 respectively March 25, 2023 through the official journal of the district government of Arnsberg and the city of Gronau as well as via the central EIA portal.

On January 18th, RWE Gas Storage West received the planning approval decision for the expansion of the gas storage site in Gronau-Epe to include additional system components for hydrogen storage. The planning approval decision will be made public from January 29th until February 12, 2024, it will be publicly displayed by the city of Gronau and can also be viewed during this period on the homepage of the district government of Arnsberg and the EIA portal.

On 19 March 2024, RWE Gas Storage West GmbH submitted the first documents for the approval procedure for further underground and above-ground hydrogen storage facilities to the Arnsberg regional government in the form of a planning notification and requested that a general preliminary assessment in accordance with the German Environmental Impact Assessment Act is carried out. On 17 July 2024, RWE Gas Storage West GmbH updated the planning notification and requested that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is carried out voluntarily.

Even before the start of the official approval process, RWE Gas Storage West launched voluntary public participation via press releases and by informing the immediate neighborhood.

The contents of the events that have taken place since June 2022 for neighborhood and public participation can be viewed here.

At this point, we would also like to give you the opportunity to actively participate in the process. You are welcome to contact us via the contact form below and send us news about the project.

RGSW received a funding commitment for the project implementation as part of the ‘IPCEI Hydrogen’ in July 2024.

The federal government is providing 70 per cent of the funding for the project. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is contributing 30 per cent.

RWE has made the final investment decision for the construction of its first hydrogen storage facility in Gronau-Epe/NRW and is now intensifying construction work on the project. This is Germany's first commercially utilised hydrogen cavern storage facility. It is being built on the RWE site of the natural gas cavern storage facility in Gronau-Epe. In future, the storage facility will help to buffer the fluctuating production of hydrogen from wind and solar energy. This will enable green hydrogen to be supplied to industrial customers as and when required.

RWE Gas Storage West presented its plans for a hydrogen storage  in Gronau at a public information event on 9 June. All interested members of the public, representatives of local authorities and the press were invited to the dialogue market. The presented information at that event, presented by experts from RWE as well as from partners are available here (documents are only available in German).

On March 28, RWE Gas Storage West presented its updated plans for a hydrogen cavern storage in Gronau at a public information event based on the planning approval documents that had been submitted. All interested members of the public, representatives of local authorities and the press were invited to the dialogue market. The presented information at that event, presented by experts from RWE as well as from partners are available here (documents are only available in German).

On June 4, RWE Gas Storage West presented its construction activities for a hydrogen cavern storage facility in Gronau at a public information event. All interested members of the public, representatives of local authorities and the press were invited to the dialogue market. The presented information at that event, presented by experts from RWE are available here (documents are only available in German).

Another information event as early public participation on the occasion of the submission of the first documents for the approval process for further underground and above-ground hydrogen storage systems will take place on October 8th from 15:00-19:00.

RWE Gas Storage West will present the concrete planning of the expansion project for the hydrogen storage. The dialogue market takes place in the Alte Tenne in Gronau-Epe. All interested citizens as well as representatives of municipalities, public bodies and the press are cordially invited to a dialogue market. Details about the event will also be published in good time in the local print media and here.