- Germany seeks to expand reliance on hydrogen as a future energy source to cut greenhouse emissions for highly polluting industrial sectors that cannot be electrified.
- The network will be about three times larger than the expected demand in 2030.
During a conference presenting the hydrogen core network plans, the chairman of transmission system operator FNB Gas, Thomas Goessmann, said Germany’s core network for hydrogen fuel will extend over 9,700 km (6,000 miles) and cost around 20 billion euros ($21 billion) by 2032. This increase is due to Berlin’s bet on the fuel for decarbonisation. Existing natural gas pipelines will make up 60 per cent of the network, connecting ports, industry, storage facilities and power plants. The FNB Gas Chairman, while presenting with the Economy Minister, Robert Habeck, said the project will be privately financed.
Germany is seeking to expand reliance on hydrogen as a future energy source to cut greenhouse emissions for highly polluting industrial sectors that cannot be electrified, such as steel and chemicals, and cut dependency on imported fossil fuel. In July, the German cabinet approved a new hydrogen strategy, setting guidelines for hydrogen production, transport infrastructure and market plans. The hydrogen network will run through all federal states. This is a core part of that infrastructure, and drilling will start next year, Goessmann added.
He said, “We all know that we have no time to lose and that the first hydrogen must flow as early as 2025. The excavators have to roll next year.” In expectation of an acceleration in future demand for green fuel, the network will be about three times larger than the expected demand in 2030. This will be 100 terawatt hours, around a tenth of Germany’s annual gas consumption in the years before the 2022 energy crisis. Habeck said that the government will evaluate the network’s plans every two years and adapt accordingly. The network will be the core of Europe’s hydrogen grid.
Also, Germany’s neighbours, such as Denmark, Norway and Spain, will be connected as Berlin expects to import up to 70 per cent of its hydrogen needs. He said that though Germany will remain an import country, it will significantly reduce import dependence. He further said that a government bill to accelerate hydrogen expansion will come up this year. The cost of the hydrogen lines will cover user fees, but in light of the relatively few users. He added that the government will make advance payments over the next 20 years to keep it affordable and to promote the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy.