Location factors for the siting of electrolyzers

Hydrogen and domestic electrolyzers are central to Germany’s hydrogen and climate strategy. The location of most of the electrolyzers constructed by 2045 is currently unknown. Where electrolyzers are located in Germany has a considerable impact on the necessary electricity transmission grids.

As part of a project for Amprion GmbH, the electrolysis capacity in Germany was localized for each NUTS-3 region using a variety of regionalization criteria for the year 2045. The regionalization was carried out for 2 scenarios. A comparative scenario located electrolyzers based on residual load and was based on the 2037/2045 electricity grid development plan (NEP). A stakeholder scenario considered criteria that are relevant from the perspective of an electrolysis operator – for example, proximity to the hydrogen grid and the availability of water.

From location factor to electrolysis site

The following steps were carried out to localize the electrolyzers for each NUTS-3 region:

• Diverge:
  Possible location criteria were identified with the help of previous studies and described in the form of profiles.
• Converge:
  The location criteria were prioritized through an internal expert survey. The 7 most relevant criteria were selected for further analysis.
• Weighting:
  Using various data sources, quantitative evaluation parameters for measuring a location criterion (regionalization criteria) were worked out from the qualitative location criteria. A workshop was held between FfE and Amprion GmbH to weigh the regionalization criteria.
• Regionalization:
  A weighted sum model was applied to distribute the electrolysis capacity across Germany using the multiple regionalization criteria. The resulting locations of electrolyzers were plotted in an interactive tool.

Key findings

A key finding of the project was that the location of electrolyzers in the stakeholder scenario differs greatly from the location in the previous NEP. In the stakeholder scenario, electrolyzers are built in significant quantities in southern Germany, which could lead to grid bottlenecks. Further, the availability of water in Germany can also significantly influence the location of electrolyzers.