The Guhlen project
An helium and hydrogen development project in Germany!
45-8 ENERGY scored a deal with CEP (Central European Petroleum) in July 2022, to acquire 100% of the Guhlen production licence and to become the operator. The deal is currently subject to approval by the Brandenburg Mining Authority (Landesamt für Bergbau, Geologie und Rohstoffe – LBGR).
Located southeast of Berlin, in Germany, this licence is holding discovered and prospective helium resources that 45-8 ENERGY intends to develop with local hydrogen production.
The Guhlen project is therefore a substantial opportunity to supply strategic resources to a high-demand area of Germany, while contributing to the energy and environmental transition. First step for the company in the area, the project will accelerate the deployment of a regional exploration aiming to unlock the significant helium potential of this geological province.
the Guhlen licence
The Guhlen licence covers an area of 102.6km² in the Brandenburg Land, located 70km southeast of Berlin, 100km north of Dresden and 150km northeast from Leipzig.
The licence was initially awarded in 2017 by CEP for 30 years by the regulator LGBR, and is valid until 2047.
The licence area has already revealed the existence of nearby prospective structures in similar and deeper geological formations. 45-8 ENERGY aims to deploy in parallel exploration efforts to secure additional resources for later production in Guhlen.
the guhlen discovery
The gas mix in the area is mainly composed of nitrogen associated to helium and a natural gas fraction. 45-8 ENERGY intends therefore to develop an innovative helium and local blue hydrogen production facility.
Helium is a strategic resource. Its extreme rarity and its unique physico-chemical properties make it highly-sought resource which is vital for many industries.
Extracting and purifying helium in Guhlen would represent the major helium production in Germany, a local supply opportunity of a strategic resource which is currently 100% imported overseas and subject to regular shortages.
Helium
The limited fraction of natural gas in the field is seen as an opportunity for innovation by 45-8 ENERGY.
As designed now by the company, project considers producing hydrogen onsite through a steam methane reforming process.
The generated associated carbon dioxide will be captured and converted to supply local industries requiring purified CO2 (breweries, cryogenics, firefighting).
Methane
The gas mix of the field is largely composed of nitrogen, the most abundant element in the atmosphere, representing 78% of its composition. It does not have therefore significant economic value in that context and can be safely vented into the air.
Nitrogen
Project to upgrade the gas mix in the area
the work program
The work program planned by 45-8 ENERGY has two objectives.
- The first one is to confirm the helium production potential and, if the results are conclusive, to implement a first production unit.
- The second is to identify all the exploratory potential, included into the production licence, to consider new futur drilling.
This work program will be carried out to concile industrial activity with respect for the environment and local residents. Through our innovative technologies and methodologies, we are able to limit the footprint of our activity. Indeed, in an initial approach, the impact of the project will be limited and controlled. It will only be necessary to install two wells and a compact production unit before production launch.
A large amount of geological and geophysical data has been acquired in the Guhlen area.
45-8 ENERGY will integrate this data and reprocess some of it, in particular the 3D seismic reflection data, to confirm the geometry and gas volumes associated with the field.
Study and reprocessing of data
In order to confirm the extent and characteristics of the deposit, one or more well tests will be drilled to a depth of around 2500 metres.
The well tests will make it possible to assess the flow capacity of the wells and to predict the long-term behaviour of the deposit.
These results will therefore be decisive in confirming the technical and economic viability of the project, enabling the final investment decision to be made.
Well tests
If the results of our well tests confirm the technical and economic viability of the helium production project and its associated resources in the area, a production unit will be implemented.
The latter will be designed to meet the technical constraints of the project and to reconcile industrial activity with respect for the environment and local residents. This will be achieved by reducing the project's footprint, using innovative technologies to optimise the unit's energy use, recovering the waste heat generated and reducing its carbon footprint.
Implementation of a production unit
The study of existing seismic data, possibly supplemented by additional acquisitions, will make it possible to highlight any prospective structures which, if confirmed positive after reconnaissance drilling, could constitute a production relay.
Study of the overall exploratory potential of the area
Key milestones
a local and strategic project
45-8 ENERGY ambition, beyond Guhlen’s one, represents a real solution to secure a local helium supply for the long-term offering and a possibility to meet the needs of an high-demanding area.
Helium
Germany consumes 9.5 million m3 of helium each year, making it the world's fifth largest consumer, although it is mainly dependent on imports. Silicon Saxony, which extends over Dresden and its surrounding area, is the largest microelectronics site in Europe and the fifth largest in the world. This type of industry requires large volumes of helium to operate. Electronics accounts for 25% of the world's use of helium. As the Guhlen project is located 100km from Dresden and, more specifically, from Silicon Saxony, the helium produced will be distributed directly to microelectronics companies in this major competitive cluster.
In addition, INTEL plans to build two semiconductor production facilities in Magdeburg, 230km from the project, by the end of the decade. Part of our helium production could thus be dedicated to supplying these units, which consume a lot of the resource but are essential to meet the needs of New Tech.
Hydrogen
The eastern part of Germany is an important industrial region with many major consumers of hydrogen (green mobility, steel and chemical industries). With a view to energy and ecological transition, projects using hydrogen are multiplying and its consumption is expected to double by 2030, rising from 55 TWh (in 2020) to 110 TWh (in 2030).
The hydrogen produced from the methane fraction of the Guhlen project will therefore contribute to the decarbonisation of local industries, in search of a secure and more environmentally friendly supply. For example, some of the hydrogen from the Guhlen project could be sent to the Arcelor Mittal steelworks, located 50km away, which is planning to produce eco-responsible steel, powered by hydrogen.
Carbon Dioxide
Germany is both the largest producer and the largest consumer of industrial carbon dioxide in Western Europe. However, the production of the resource is mostly concentrated in the west of Germany. And, carbon dioxide of the eastern part of Germany is mainly generated by seasonal ammonia production.
The carbon dioxide produced at the Guhlen project will thus ensure a local, regular and secure supply to the many consumer companies in the region. They are, moreover, very diversified and cover the soft drinks industry (beer, softs, water, etc.), the chemical industry and the cryogenic industry.
