The European Commission is supporting Storengy Deutschland’s SaltHy hydrogen storage project with up to €4.5 million. On 18 June 2025, the company signed a corresponding funding agreement under the EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme. The funds are earmarked for preparatory studies intended to lay the groundwork for the construction of an underground hydrogen storage facility in Harsefeld (Lower Saxony).
SaltHy has been classified as a Project of Common Interest (PCI). Such projects are considered particularly important for European energy infrastructure. The funding covers 50 percent of the planned study costs of around €9 million. The work packages include, among other things, engineering for underground and above-ground facilities as well as a planned solar installation, permitting procedures, stakeholder management, and risk, environmental, and quality management.
Two caverns planned with approx. 7,000 tonnes working gas capacity each
The plan is to construct two salt caverns, each with a working gas capacity of around 7,000 tonnes. Both caverns will be used exclusively for hydrogen storage. The first cavern is scheduled to be commissioned in 2032, with the second to follow in 2034. Subsequently, Storengy intends to repurpose the existing natural gas storage facility at the site for hydrogen.
“Thanks to the funding from the Connecting Europe Facility, we can take the next step in implementing our SaltHy project,” said Matthieu Keime, Head of Hydrogen Storage at Storengy Deutschland. “Our hydrogen storage facility in Harsefeld will have an impact beyond Germany’s borders, thanks to its location at the crossroads of import routes from Denmark and the Netherlands.”
Strategic location within the future core hydrogen network
The Stade region is considered a strategically important location for the hydrogen economy. The first sections of the planned German core hydrogen network are already scheduled to go into operation there in 2028. Its proximity to port facilities, import options by ship, and planned ammonia rectification plants makes Harsefeld a potential hub for hydrogen logistics and distribution.
Storengy Deutschland is part of the French ENGIE Group and according to its own information one of the leading gas storage companies in Germany. The company, headquartered in Berlin, operates storage facilities and develops solutions for the storage of hydrogen and renewable gases.
You can find more information about this project here.
