German, Kazakh officials launch pre-FEED for mega hydrogen project

Hyrasia one, the 40-GW wind and solar-powered green hydrogen project in the Kazakh steppe, has launched its preliminary Front-End Engineering and Design (pre-FEED) phase, Dresden-based developer Svevind Energy Group announced on Wednesday.

Geological drilling, which forms part of the new project phase, was launched by German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Kazakh Prime Minister Alihan Smaiylov and Svevind chief executive Wolfgang Kropp.

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At the event, there was also an official signing of the pre-FEED contract with Genesis, a unit of French engineering company Technip Energies, which will complete the work by the end of the year. The pre-FEED will cover both the renewable energy parks and the facility for the production of hydrogen and ammonia, and will help determine, for instance, the type of electrolysers to be used.

The developer is targeting a final investment decision in 2026 and construction start in 2027. Production could begin in 2030, with full capacity expected to be reached from 2032 onwards.

The project could produce up to 2 million tonnes of green hydrogen, to be converted to 11 million tonnes of green ammonia per year.

An investment agreement was signed with the Kazakh government in October 2022.

The project benefits from strong Kazakh, German, and European political will, the developer says, as Europe is looking to diversify and green its energy supplies. Green hydrogen is seen as key for the decarbonisation of carbon-intensive industries.

The scheme could contribute to the green transition of the Kazakh economy. In combination with abundant raw materials, like metals and rare earths, green energy could unlock opportunities to produce products, like green steel, aluminum, fertilisers and cement in Kazakhstan, the developer notes.