Gas grid operator Gasunie plans intl hydrogen network off Germany

Dutch gas grid operator Gasunie has applied to receive a Project of Common Interest (PCI) status from the European Commission (EC) for a plan to establish an international hydrogen network in the German part of the North Sea.

In a statement on Thursday, the company said that this plan will support the large-scale import of hydrogen from Norway and the future green hydrogen supply from offshore wind farms in the North Sea. The proposed German offshore network will be connected to the Dutch offshore network.

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The newly-filed application is part of the international Clean Hydrogen for Europe partnership aimed at creating the entire hydrogen chain, from production, transport and storage to connecting end-users in north-western Europe. The idea is to commission the hydrogen network in the German North Sea from 2030 and in subsequent years establish a connection to the Netherlands.

Gasunie said it will assist in connecting the various hydrogen networks that are currently being developed in the different North Sea countries. This role will be solidified with the Dutch cabinet's plan to appoint the company to develop a hydrogen network in the Dutch portion of the North Sea, it added.