Uniper agrees green hydrogen partnership with fund manager Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners

Uniper and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have signed a memorandum of understanding which strengthens collaboration on taking green hydrogen from CIP’s huge HØST PtX Esbjerg project to Germany. 

The partnership between CIP - through its Energy Transition Fund - and global energy merchant Uniper, one of the world’s largest power producers, will drive joint efforts on production, transport, and the marketing of the commodity from the euro 2 billion Danish west coast project.  

Future connectivity

It is anticipated that in 2028 HØST will be connected to the German “hydrogen backbone” via a new Denmark-Germany pipeline to be developed by Danish transmission system operator Energinet, in cooperation with Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services. That will channel competitively priced green hydrogen to the German market and enable access by consumption sites in the country. The partnership will see delivery of up to 140,000 tons of green hydrogen annually to German customers.

Strategic uplift

Uniper’s COO, Holger Kreetz, highlighted great potential in the collaboration. His company intends to take green hydrogen from HØST into its green gas portfolio and supply the industry’s needs with varying flexibility profiles and with different contract lengths. 

“HØST fits our strategic target of achieving at least 1GW installed electrolyser capacity by 2030, and our other electrolyser developments in Germany such as Green Wilhelmshaven,” said Kreetz. “Uniper’s diversified hydrogen portfolio consists of various supply sources to guarantee competitive and secure supplies in line with customer needs.”

Mutually beneficial

Founded in 2012, CIP is the world’s largest dedicated fund manager within greenfield renewable energy investments and a global leader in offshore wind. Karsten Plauborg, Partner, branded the Uniper deal “an important step” for CIP and the HØST PtX Esbjerg project.

“With the vast renewable energy potential from the North Sea, as well as the planned hydrogen pipeline connecting Denmark to Germany, we are excited to take the next step in bringing green hydrogen from the HØST project to German customers,” he said. “While CIP has a significant portfolio of power-to-gas projects, Uniper’s strong position with German energy customers is a key enabler in establishing this new market.”

Funding clean energy

CIP’s 12 managed funds focus on investments in offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass and energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X, such as HØST. 

It has to date raised about euro 28 billion for investments in energy and associated infrastructure from more than 160 international institutional investors.

With a footprint of 30 hectares, HØST is set to deploy large-scale industrial use of electrolysis technology on gigawatt scale to produce up to 140,000 tonnes green hydrogen per annum for use in the chemicals industry.