SHEFFIELD: ITM Power plc has entered a strategic collaboration with Rheinmetall AG, a German defense technology group, to support the Giga PtX project — a planned Europe-wide network of decentralized synthetic fuel plants aimed at bolstering fuel security for NATO armed forces.
The partnership envisions hundreds of production facilities across Europe, each with up to 50 megawatts of electrolysis capacity, capable of producing 5,000 to 7,000 metric tons of e-fuel annually per plant. The initial focus will be on the United Kingdom.
Synthetic fuels are seen as critical for defense and other mission-critical sectors where electrification is not feasible. The Giga PtX project targets what ITM described as a significant growth market for large-scale hydrogen production technologies, driven by rising demand for resilient, independent energy supplies in defense applications.
“Our collaboration with Rheinmetall aligns the energy transition with national security priorities,” said Dennis Schulz, CEO of ITM Power. “Reliable access to fuel is fundamental to defense capability, and decentralized production offers a structurally more resilient alternative to traditional supply chains.”
The project combines Rheinmetall’s Power-to-X expertise with ITM’s electrolyzer systems. Rheinmetall’s Head of Hydrogen Program, Shena Britzen, said e-fuels represent “a strategic necessity” for Europe’s defense forces.
“What matters is not just energy security, but the ability to act independently — in logistics, in operations, and in times of crisis,” Britzen said.