Under the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the companies will coordinate grid developed based on results from pre-feasibility studies and latest market developments. Additionally, Energinet and Gasunie will analyse and outline the decision gates on the way to final investment decisions.

Having been well established trade of gas between Denmark and Germany over the decades, it is expected that a large part of the ‘hydrogen backbone’ between the two countries can be based on the conversion of existing gas transmission pipelines.

The potential hydrogen connection between Denmark and Germany © Energinet

H2 View understands that despite the work being carried out by the companies, it remains unclear who will be the future hydrogen network operator(s). Energinet and Gasunie say they have signed the agreement on the behalf of future German and Danish operators.

“Hydrogen infrastructure enables us to fully exploit and export some of the huge renewable energy sources in Denmark and deliver on the Esbjerg agreement,” said Søren Dupont Kristensen, CEO of Energinet Systemansvar, “At Energinet, we already feel a strong market interest in being able to supply the German hydrogen market with green hydrogen produced in Denmark – and the ambition is to realise this before 2030.

“A lot must fall into place before then, so I am very happy that we are now committing us to speed up the preparatory efforts and thereby support European energy supply security.”

In May 2022, Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands set a joint target of delivering at least 65GW of offshore wind power in 2030 and increasing capacity to 150GW in 2050, under the so-called Esbjerg agreement. Following the target, the Danish and German Governments entered into a declaration of intent to strengthen the cooperation on green hydrogen between the two nations.

Read more: Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands partner to generate 20GW of green hydrogen in the North Sea by 2030

Jens Schumann, CEO of Gasunie Deutschland, said, “The strategic value of an intensified hydrogen collaboration between Denmark and Germany lies in the well-developed, high-performance infrastructure that already connects the two neighbouring countries. It gives us direct access to Danish green hydrogen sources – without conversion to intermediate energy carriers such as ammonia.”

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