Artikelart: News

A milestone for the energy transition: The Federal Network Agency today approved the construction of the Germany-wide hydrogen core network.

– First hydrogen pipelines to be commissioned as early as next year

– Length: 9,666 km, of which around 60% are lines to be converted

– Investment costs: 19.7 billion euros

– Feed-in volume: 278 TWhth

After intensive planning, the transmission system operators have submitted their joint application for the hydrogen core network to the Federal Network Agency. They are thus presenting a Germany-wide, expandable, efficient and quickly realizable hydrogen network for approval. The core grid will gradually connect central consumption and generation hubs as well as storage and import centres by 2032.

“The core network solves the chicken-and-egg problem by initially developing the infrastructure on the basis of a scenario worked out together with politicians. It lays the foundation for the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. The TSOs are thus making an advance payment: the core network is the offer to the market, it comes for the market and continues to develop with it,” explains Barbara Fischer, FNB Gas Managing Director.

“The TSOs are united behind the concept of the core network. Together, we are applying for the complete core network and will build and operate it step by step. The core network is intended to optimally promote and support the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy in Germany and Europe“, affirms Dr. Thomas Gößmann, Chairman of the FNB Gas Executive Board.

The forthcoming adoption of the amendment to the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) in the German Bundestag creates the legal framework for financing the hydrogen core network and anchors integrated network development planning for gas and hydrogen. The decision on the financing concept closes the remaining gap in the legal framework for the hydrogen core network.

The TSOs are committed to the core grid and remain convinced that the core grid is a necessary prerequisite for the decarbonization of German industry and the economy. Unfortunately, crucial adjustments to the draft law were not taken into account

FNB Gas e.V. today submitted the draft application for the hydrogen core network to the Federal Network Agency and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. “This marks the next milestone in the realization of the core network,” emphasizes Barbara Fischer, FNB Gas Managing Director.

Barbara Fischer, Managing Director of FNB Gas e.V., explains on the occasion of the adoption of the Act on the Adaptation of Energy Industry Law to EU Requirements and on the Amendment of Further Energy Law Provisions, which the Federal Government presented on 24 May 2023: “With today’s decision, the Bundestag is paving the way for a Germany-wide, expandable, efficient and quickly realizable hydrogen network with the target year 2032. The hydrogen core network is the desired signal for the hydrogen ramp-up. The transmission system operators published the initial planning status in July and are currently working flat out to finalize the planning so that implementation can begin next year.”

“TSOs and DSOs are pulling together in planning the hydrogen network. It is important that hydrogen infrastructure planning goes hand in hand at all levels. FNB Gas therefore welcomes the fact that hydrogen network planning is also progressing at the distribution network level. The FNB’s interregional hydrogen core network connects generation regions and import points with consumption regions. The downstream distribution networks take over the area supply.

The transmission system operators welcome today’s adoption of the update of the National Hydrogen Strategy by the German cabinet. The strategy sets important guidelines for the rapid development of the national hydrogen infrastructure and for its integration into a European network.

The German hydrogen core network as the first stage of the future hydrogen infrastructure is taking shape: With the planning status published today, the German transmission system operators (TSOs) present a first modeling result for the future supraregional hydrogen core network.

dena has presented a proposal to accelerate the development of the hydrogen start-up grid, which is also welcomed by the transmission system operators.

dena has presented a proposal to accelerate the development of the hydrogen start-up grid, which is also welcomed by the transmission system operators.

dena has presented a proposal to accelerate the development of the hydrogen start-up grid, which is also welcomed by the transmission system operators.

Excerpt: Text for the overview pages

Excerpt: Text for the overview pages

dena has presented a proposal to accelerate the development of the hydrogen start-up grid, which is also welcomed by the transmission system operators.

With the hydrogen network for a climate-neutral Germany (H2 network 2050), the transmission system operators (TSOs) are demonstrating that they can construct such a network efficiently and reliably at moderate investment costs. The H2 network 2050 has been further developed by the TSOs from the “Visionary Hydrogen Network” published in January 2020. This first vision of the future included many considerations, but without a network simulation for future hydrogen transport needs. The H2 network 2050 now presented, on the other hand, is based on detailed grid planning.

With the Hydrogen Network 2030 (in short: H2 Net 2030), the transmission system operators (TSOs) show solutions how transport needs can be met promptly on a supra-regional basis in the case of dynamic development of the hydrogen market.