The Energy Park Bad Lauchstädt has been awarded the Hydrogen TCP Award of Excellence 2026. Another winning project was the EU-funded initiative H2GLASS. The award is presented by the Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Programme (Hydrogen TCP) of the International Energy Agency (IEA) together with the Hydrogen Initiative of the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM-H2I).
For 2026, under the motto "From Supply to Demand: Driving Hydrogen Solutions," 18 projects from twelve countries applied, according to the organizers. Projects that demonstrate proven innovations and contribute to strengthening hydrogen demand are awarded. The awards have been presented since 2022.
Entire Value Chain on an Industrial Scale
The Energy Park Bad Lauchstädt represents the value chain for green hydrogen in a complete system. A wind farm with eight units and around 50 megawatts of installed capacity supplies the electricity for a 30-megawatt electrolyzer from the manufacturer Sunfire. The produced hydrogen is processed, measured, and transported approximately 25 kilometers via a repurposed natural gas pipeline to the TotalEnergies refinery in Leuna. There, it is intended to replace fossil hydrogen in industrial processes.
The project is funded as a "real-world laboratory of the energy transition" within the framework of the 7th Energy Research Program by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). According to the project partners, a total of 210 million euros is being invested, of which 44 million euros come from BMWE funding.
Reactions from Consortium and Ministry
Cornelia Müller-Pagel, consortium spokesperson for the Energy Park Bad Lauchstädt, stated: "I am very pleased about this award and thank the IEA Hydrogen TCP on behalf of the entire consortium. The recognition belongs to all partners who work together across industry and professional boundaries to implement an integrated hydrogen system under real conditions." She hopes that the experiences from Bad Lauchstädt "can serve as a guide for further hydrogen ramp-up and industrial decarbonization – even beyond Germany."
Axel Bree from the BMWi described the Energy Park as "an important milestone for the German hydrogen ramp-up." The project shows "how renewable energies, hydrogen production, storage, transport, and industrial use can be combined into a functioning value chain." It also utilizes existing infrastructure for climate-friendly energy supply.
Consortium of Seven Partners
Seven partners are involved in the Energy Park Bad Lauchstädt: Terrawatt Planungsgesellschaft is responsible for the wind farm. Uniper, VNG Handel & Vertrieb, and VNG Gasspeicher are involved in production, marketing, and storage. Ontras Gastransport operates the transmission network in Eastern Germany and is responsible for the hydrogen-converted pipeline. The DBI – Gas Technology Institute Freiberg scientifically accompanies the project. In the future, the green hydrogen is also intended to flow into urban mobility solutions.
Rico THUMSER / Energy Park Bad L
