Iqony Sens

Iqony, the growth division of STEAG Group, Essen/Germany, which specializes in renewable energies, hydrogen projects, decarbonization solutions and the construction of new and hydrogen-capable gas-fired power plants, is planning to build an electrolyzer for the production of green, climate-neutral hydrogen at the long-established power plant site in Völklingen-Fenne. The project was classified as an “Important Project of Common European Interest” (IPCEI) by the EU Commission at the beginning of the year and has now been officially awarded national funding by Federal Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck (Figure 1).

With the IPCEI classification by the European Commission, the German government and the Saarland state government, which is also financially involved, were authorized under European state aid law to spend money from their budgets on project funding. With the acceptance of the funding decision by Andreas Reichel, CEO and Labor Director of STEAG and Iqony, the project has reached another important milestone on the way to its implementation. If everything develops as planned, the first hydrogen will be produced in Fenne in 2028.

“With the issue of the funding notification, we are a big step closer to our goal of producing green hydrogen in Völklingen-Fenne and supporting the decarbonization of industry and businesses in Saarland,” Reichel explains. However, receipt of the funding approval is not yet synonymous with a final investment decision.

“The fact that we now have clarity about possible investment funding puts us in a position to hold in-depth talks with potential customers and participate in corresponding tenders for hydrogen supply,” Reichel continued. If talks and tenders are successful, a firm investment decision could be made by the beginning of 2025.

Nevertheless, the interim goal that has now been achieved provides strength and confidence for the next steps on the way to implementing the project. In this respect, the company views the coming weeks and months with confidence: “The basic IPCEI notification by the EU Commission in February has already given the project a noticeable boost. We are now working intensively on creating all the other prerequisites for a final investment decision,” says Anke Langner, Managing Director of Saarbrücken-based Iqony Energies GmbH, which is responsible for the project within the Iqony group of companies. Iqony is the vehicle within the long-established STEAG Group for all future and growth topics in the energy industry.

With the “HydroHub Fenne” project, Iqony and the STEAG Group as a whole are also opening a groundbreaking new chapter in the history of the traditional power plant site in Völklingen. “The fact that the future prospects of the Fenne site beyond hard coal are becoming more concrete with the HydroHub in the very year of the site’s 100th anniversary is a good and important signal for the company, for the region and for the employees,” says Ralf Schiele, COO of STEAG and CEO and COO of Iqony.

In this context, the company would like to thank not only the representatives of the federal German government, but in particular the Saarland state government, which has not only positively accompanied and politically supported the project since the initial planning stages, but has also contributed to the investment funding from its own resources. “The support that our project has received as part of the commitment by, in particular, Minister President Anke Rehlinger and Economics Minister Jürgen Barke to a successful ramp-up of the hydrogen economy in the Saar region was and still is exemplary. I would like to express my gratitude for this on behalf of our employees,” says Reichel.

The state government is also satisfied: “Today is a good day for our region. We have taken an enormous step towards our goal of producing large quantities of climate-neutral hydrogen in Saarland and then transporting it to customers. The substantial contribution that the federal and state governments are making to the project is crucial for the establishment of a comprehensive hydrogen economy. We recognized the importance of hydrogen as a technological bridge to an economically successful and sustainable future for Saarland at an early stage and have campaigned intensively in Berlin and Brussels for all IPCEI projects. I am delighted that Saarland can now make important contributions to the development of hydrogen technologies,” says Saarland Economics Minister Jürgen Barke. (Iqony/Si.)

Iqony GmbH, Essen/Germany, the green growth division of the Essen-based STEAG Group, is merging its solar and wind business into a joint business unit. The subsidiary, under whose umbrella both business areas will be bundled in future, has been operating as Iqony Sustainable Energy Solutions GmbH (Iqony Sens) since 30th May 2024 (Figure 1).

“The integration of the two previous business units into a single, even more efficient and powerful unit is a decisive step for us on our way from project developer to one of the leading European producers of renewable energy,” explains Andreas Reichel, CEO and Labour Director of STEAG and Iqony. Under the leadership of the two Managing Directors André Kremer and Joël Wagner, Iqony Sens will realise synergies along the entire value chain of onshore wind and large-scale photovoltaic (PV).

The business of the new business unit is based on two pillars: Project development and management are bundled in the IPP (Independent Power Producer) division. The electricity, which will be increasingly self-generated in future, will then be marketed via the Group’s own Iqony trading division. The EPC and O&M (Engineering, Procurement, Construction plus Operations & Maintenance) division comprises the construction and maintenance of plants in the wind and PV sectors.

“So far, we have been a valued partner primarily for the development, EPC and O&M services of individual PV systems,” says Kremer. “In future, we will dovetail our many years of experience in the solar industry more closely with Iqony’s wind expertise and keep it within the company for the long term in the IPP sector.”

“As an Independent Power Producer, we will not only be able to provide significantly more base load-capable electricity, we are also focusing on a future in which renewable energy sources play the leading role in the global energy market,” adds Wagner.

With the integration of the two areas of solar and wind, Iqony Sens will assume the role of an integrated plant operator and energy producer in addition to its strong position as a project developer and service provider. To date, the company’s own wind and solar parks have an installed capacity of around 250 MW. Iqony is aiming to quadruple this portfolio by the end of the decade.

Iqony e. g. was recently awarded the contract for the planned Mosbach wind farm with an installed capacity of around 61 MW in the Neckar-Odenwald district of Baden-Württemberg. Iqony’s many years of experience in working closely with municipal partners and the local population to realise wind farms, as well as its attractive participation options for landowners, were convincing.

In the PV sector, the realisation of an EPC project in Wensicken­dorf recently began. This will create a PV park with an installed capacity of over 32 MWp. The expected annual generation of over 33,000 MWh will ensure structural savings of an estimated 5,500 t of CO₂e/a.

Last year, the Spanish infrastructure investor Asterion took over Iqony’s parent company STEAG. “This will enable us to accelerate the transformation of our company and invest even more heavily in our own projects in future,” says Reichel. Against this background, the integration of the wind and PV competences is a further significant milestone in the strategic realignment of the STEAG Group as a whole. (Iqony/Si.)