Joschka Knuth, State Secretary at the Ministry for Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment, and Nature, personally presented the grant notification to André Steinau, managing director of the energy provider eFarming GmbH & Co. KG.
The funding comes from the Schleswig-Holstein state program “Economy 2021–2027, ” which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Federal-State Joint Task “Improvement of the Regional Economic Structure” (GRW). According to the company, this is the first project to receive funding under the program.
Electrolysis capacity will be expanded to 2 MW
The project aims to increase the electrolysis capacity at the Bosbüll site to two MW. As a result, more than one metric ton of green hydrogen is expected to be produced per day starting in the summer of 2026. The electrolyzer planned for this purpose is supplied by the Spanish manufacturer H2B2 Electrolysis Technologies.
The principle behind “eFarm” will remain the same even after the expansion: Locally generated electricity from renewable energy plants will be used to produce green hydrogen on-site, store it, and then deliver it to two refueling stations in Husum and Niebüll, among other locations.
Use in public transit is to be expanded
In the future, the hydrogen produced is intended to be used primarily in regional public transportation. The number of hydrogen-powered buses in Schleswig-Holstein is thus expected to increase from the current two to twelve vehicles. The operators are Autokraft GmbH, a subsidiary of DB Regio AG, and Norddeutsche Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH, formerly Rohde Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH.
The “Innovation Clause” of the Nordfriesland district supports the expansion of the hydrogen bus fleet. It stipulates that the use of zero-emission propulsion technologies is to be prioritized and, in return, subsidizes the additional operating costs associated with bus operations.
Scheduled to begin operations in the summer of 2026
About 18 other shareholders and companies are involved in the eFarming project, including community-owned wind and solar farms. In total, this means that more than 3,500 people from the region are indirectly involved.
The facility in Bosbüll is scheduled to begin operations in the summer of 2026.
