July 07, 2025 [H2 View]- E.ON has reportedly cancelled plans for a 20MW green hydrogen project in Essen and exited plans to develop a hydrogen pipeline in Germany.

ICIS reported that all of E.ON’s international hydrogen imports, hydrogen production, and midstream activities will be deprioritised as the company restructures, moving its green gas operations into its broader energy infrastructure solutions (EIS) unit.

Despite only selecting Andritz to carry out engineering studies on the 20MW HydroHarbourEssen (HHE) project last October, E.ON has now cancelled plans for the project. It was set to produce 2,300 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per year by 2027.

Furthermore, the company has withdrawn from the H2.Ruhr project, which was to be developed in partnership with Enel, Iberdrola, ABB, and SAP. The project had planned to deliver up to 80,000 tonnes of hydrogen and ammonia annually via a pipeline initially connecting Essen and Duisburg.

H2 View has contacted E.ON for clarification on the scope of its EIS unit and the role hydrogen is expected to play within it.

The announcement comes as German energy companies are expressing concern that excessive national and EU regulations are making renewable energy and hydrogen investments financially unviable.

While E.ON will narrow its hydrogen focus to B2B solutions within its EIS unit, ArcelorMittal has also halted its €1.3bn hydrogen plans in Germany amid high power costs, weak steel demand, poor hydrogen economics, and policy uncertainty.

Friedrich Merz, the newly elected Chancellor, said the new coalition government will use “all hydrogen colours”in a bid to ramp up the country’s hydrogen industry, marking a shift away from a heavy green hydrogen focus, as it aims to meet its 10GW target.