H2 Transport

The RH2INE initiative has received an initial approval from Lloyd's Register for the standardized design of interchangeable hydrogen containers. This brings a mobile hydrogen infrastructure for emission-free inland shipping along the Rhine corridor closer.

Numerous European associations from the energy, hydrogen, and industrial sectors are urging the EU Commission to quickly revise the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184. The ongoing uncertainty about the production criteria for renewable hydrogen endangers investments along the entire value chain.

The Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF) in Darmstadt. The focus of the exchange was on methods for evaluating and monitoring safe hydrogen systems.

The hydrogen-focused fund manager Hy24 is acquiring Uniper's 20 percent stake in the Opal pipeline. This 470-kilometer pipeline from northeastern Germany to the Czech border is currently being converted for hydrogen transport, becoming part of Germany's hydrogen core network.

Creos Deutschland has commenced the construction of the first hydrogen pipeline in the Federal State of Saarland in the West of Germany. The approximately 17-kilometre pipeline between Leidingen and Dillingen is the German part of the French-German cross-border project mosaHYc. The construction period is expected to last around one and a half years.

AquaDuctus Pipeline GmbH is starting the geotechnical investigations for the planned offshore hydrogen pipeline in the North Sea. According to the company, the work in front of Norderney and Hilgenriedersiel will begin at the earliest on July 20, 2026, providing data for route planning and construction methods.

The industrial gases company Messer is acquiring a 30 percent stake in four production sites of Lhyfe for renewable hydrogen in France and Germany. Additionally, both companies have signed a ten-year supply contract.

French green hydrogen producer Lhyfe has expanded its European transport fleet to 84 Type IV tube trailers. With ten newly delivered Hexagon Purus containers, the company aims to strengthen its bulk hydrogen supply chain, which surpassed more than 1,000 deliveries in 2025.

According to Fraunhofer ISE, Ireland can become a significant player in the hydrogen economy. In the HYreland project, researchers analyzed potentials and costs. For export to Germany, pipeline transport to Stade or Rotterdam would be the most cost-effective.

The Stadtwerke Stuttgart have begun constructing a hydrogen pipeline approximately four kilometres long along the Neckar. It is intended to transport green hydrogen from the planned Green Hydrogen Hub in the Stuttgart harbour to consumers in three city districts.

For the planned hydrogen pipeline Hybor, the scoping process has begun in the Federal States of Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, and Thuringia. The approximately 120-kilometre-long pipeline is part of Germany's hydrogen core network and, according to the operator Gascade, is expected to be completed by 2029.

Liquid hydrogen derivatives like methanol can be transported via pipeline up to ten times cheaper in terms of energy content than gaseous hydrogen. This is shown by a case study from Fraunhofer IEG and Fraunhofer ISI. The simulation model HyTROM+ developed for this purpose aims to create planning security for import corridors.

Fraunhofer ISE has developed a process that significantly reduces the cost of producing dimethyl ether, or DME. This energy carrier could play an important role in future hydrogen imports. A pilot plant is now planned in Chile.

The hydrogen ramp-up in Germany is not failing due to a lack of interest from companies. On the contrary, regulatory, economic, and infrastructural risks, also at the EU level, are hindering investments along the value chain. This is shown by a study from BDEW and Capgemini.

Gascade has converted around 400 kilometres of existing natural gas pipelines to hydrogen. The new north-south axis is part of the project "Flow – making hydrogen happen" and forms a central section of Germany's hydrogen core network.

In Hamburg-Moorburg, the construction of a 100 MW electrolyser has begun. The Hamburg Green Hydrogen Hub project is expected to deliver around 10,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually from 2027. The operators are Luxcara and Hamburger Energiewerke.

Daimler Truck, HHLA and Kawasaki Heavy Industries are developing a green liquid hydrogen supply chain via the Port of Hamburg to enable imports and ensure reliable distribution across Europe.

Energy company Gasunie is converting an existing natural gas pipeline in Bremen to transport hydrogen. The measure is part of the Hyperlink project, which aims to integrate Bremen into Germany’s national hydrogen core network. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2027.

In the Federal State of Lower Saxony, the AGil project has being launched to develop new business models for municipal utilities. The goal is to convert surplus electricity from renewable sources into hydrogen locally, thereby strengthening decentralized energy supply.

AquaVentus and Hydrogen Scotland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The aim is to jointly expand hydrogen production and transport in the North Sea region. A position paper outlines specific infrastructure potentials.

Hamburger Energienetze are preparing an existing natural gas pipeline beneath the Süderelbe for hydrogen transport. The so-called Kattwyk culvert is to become part of the hydrogen industrial network HH-WIN starting in 2027.

The company L&R Kältetechnik is supplying six refrigeration systems for a hydrogen cavern storage facility. The systems are part of the gas processing unit at the transfer station and operate with natural refrigerants at high energy efficiency.

The regional energy supplier badenova has begun construction of a hydrogen pipeline in the Upper Rhine region. Through its subsidiary badenovaNetze, the Badenova group is among the first companies to actively contribute to the development of Germany's national hydrogen core network.

The transport transition is a central component of the German climate protection strategy. As part of this, hydrogen is seen as a key energy source, especially for heavy-duty goods vehicles. But how can hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) be supplied with hydrogen efficiently, sustainably and economically? A joint study by the National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH) and the German Energy Agency (dena) examines four supply options via a future H₂ pipeline network. In the study, H₂ hubs that act as connecting elements between the emerging H₂ network and the HRSs are of particular importance.

Transport iron to use hydrogen: The new H₂ storage technology of Ambartec AG conveys iron granulates and obtains the hydrogen on site through oxidation. In mid-February 2025, Ambartec, together with Purem by Eberspächer, signed a cooperation agreement (MOU) to prepare a serial production of this iron-nugget hydrogen storage and for its transport in standard 20-foot containers.