The transmission system operator Gascade has put a central section of the future German hydrogen core network into operation. As part of the infrastructure programme "Flow – making hydrogen happen," around 400 kilometres of existing natural gas pipelines have been converted for the transport of hydrogen. The pipeline runs from the Baltic Sea region to Saxony-Anhalt and is now available to the market.
According to the company, it is one of the first large-volume north-south axes for hydrogen in Germany. The conversion of existing pipelines with a diameter of 1.4 metres is a technical pioneering achievement, said Gascade Managing Director Ulrich Benterbusch: "With the successful conversion of 400 kilometres of pipeline, we reliably provide large-volume and central hydrogen infrastructure."
The new infrastructure is intended to provide planning security for industrial companies and contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions, according to Gascade. In the long term, the pipeline is expected to be able to receive hydrogen from the European Baltic Sea region, from imports via the port of Rostock, as well as from production on the Baltic coast – particularly in Lubmin.
Gascade Managing Director Christoph von dem Bussche emphasises the European dimension of the project: "Flow – making hydrogen happen is more than a technical project. It is a promise for the future." The networking with European neighbours was considered from the outset.
According to Gascade, the now operational section is the first step towards further connecting southern German industrial centres, which is to be completed by 2029. As part of the programme, pipeline connections to Poland, the Czech Republic, Bavaria, and Austria are also planned – partly through the conversion of existing infrastructure, partly through new constructions.
Gascade operates a high-pressure pipeline network of around 3,700 kilometres and aims to gradually convert it to hydrogen transport. The company, based in Kassel, is involved in several onshore and offshore hydrogen projects.
