Hesse will be connected to national hydrogen transport routes via the H2ercules, Flow and Werne-Eisenach Line pipelines. Still, additional pipelines will be required to “further distribute hydrogen across the region,” the Hessian Ministry for Economy and Energy said online.
A total of 15 regional gas network operators, potentially including Open Grid Europe (OGE) and Terranets bw GmbH, conducted feasibility studies for a hydrogen network in Northern and Central Hesse.
Specifically, the study outlined a pipeline corridor extending from Lahntal to the Kassel area, supplemented by local branch lines. The proposed route will consist of newly constructed sections and repurposed gas pipelines.
The study found that the industry in Hesse could need between 8.5TWh and 9TWh of green hydrogen per year between 2032 and 2035.
However, the Hessian Ministry has said a complete hydrogen supply using the existing gas network is not currently possible, as natural gas customers still need to be served by current networks.
“The study at hand outlines how hydrogen supply in Northern and Central Hesse hydrogen supply can be secured through a distribution network,” explained Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Kaweh Mansoori.
“I welcome the commitment to a Hessian hydrogen economy and thank the participating network operators for their involvement in the feasibility study,” Mansoori added.
With the study, a concrete proposal has been made to connect the Central and Northern Hesse network to the German National Hydrogen Core Network, or the Wasserstorff-Kernnetz.
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“We are creating security for everyone involved – from hydrogen producers at home and abroad to the operators of power plants and storage facilities and future industrial users.”
That was the message from German Vice-Chancellor and Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, Robert Habeck, when his government’s plans for a 9,040km ‘Wasserstoff-Kernnetz’ or hydrogen core network (HCN) were approved by the Federal Network Agency (BNetZA).
The HCN will cover the width of the country, resulting in a feed-in capacity of 101GW of hydrogen and a feed-out capacity of 87GW. Expected to complement the nation’s ambitious hydrogen production and import strategy, the network will connect import terminals to industrial hubs located throughout the country.