ITM Power signs German deal following Russia contract

ITM Power has capped a good week for the business by sealing a deal to supply a German utility giant.

The news from the Sheffield-based energy storage and clean fuel company follows an announcement that it had made its first sale in Russia earlier this week.

The German deal, won through a competitive tender, is with German energy group Thüga Group, to supply a 360kW power-to-gas energy storage plant and is ITM Power’s first major commercial sale in Germany of a large hydrogen production unit.

Power-to-gas energy storage is rapidly growing in Germany and the Thüga Group project is the largest of its kind involving a PEM electrolyser which is able to respond rapidly to fluctuating renewable inputs and so are able to store renewable energy as hydrogen for injection into the gas grid.

ITM Power’s technology is unique because can respond in one second and is self-pressurising up to 80bar, permitting direct injection into the German gas grid.

Dr.-Ing. Peter Birkner, director, Mainova AG, commented: “The energy sector in Germany is undergoing a fundamental change, which is being accelerated as Germany moves away from nuclear power generation. We are now exploring all aspects of harnessing intermittent renewable energy and it is essential that we can harness all of the renewable energy that we generate. ITM Power’s technology will be a key part of the systems that we need to achieve our goals.”

Phil Doran, managing director, ITM Power GmbH, added: “This is our first significant sale into the German utility
market and is recognition of ITM Power’s expertise in the energy storage and clean fuel sector. Germany is the leading market for energy storage technology, particularly after the government’s decision to pull out of nuclear generation.”