At 9,040 kilometers long, the network will be 600 kilometers smaller than planned. Minister Habeck emphasized that this will not affect the ramp-up of hydrogen throughout Germany.
The Federal Network Agency has given the green light for the construction of important hydrogen pipelines throughout Germany. Federal Energy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) announced this at a press conference in Berlin. “Today the hydrogen core network has been decided. It is not finished yet – but it will be built now,” he said. From the idea to approval, just two and a half years passed. This was “record-breaking,” praised the Green politician. Construction should begin gradually, and sections should be completed before the target year of 2032.
Network is smaller than planned
However, with a total distance of 9,040 kilometers, the network is significantly smaller than initially assumed. The Federal Network Agency removed more than 600 kilometers from the original plan. Federal Network Agency President Klaus Müller justified this by reducing “redundancies” and connecting lines that were not needed in the core network. Habeck emphasized that no federal state remains unconnected and that it is a “breathing process”.
60 percent of the entire network will be created by repurposing existing natural gas pipelines. Müller emphasized that the supply of natural gas would still be guaranteed: “We are also building additional natural gas pipelines to enable exactly the aspect of security of natural gas supply that we will need for quite some time.” That alone will cost two billion euros. The private sector is expected to bear the total costs of 19.8 billion euros – with state support through capping network fees.
Hydrogen as the climate-friendly energy of the future
The project is of great importance for the energy supply in Germany. There are great hopes for hydrogen as a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels such as oil and gas. The hydrogen core network is intended to include the most important lines of the future hydrogen transport and import infrastructure. Habeck compared the project to the highways in the road network. According to the Association of Transmission System Operators, the network should be able to transport up to 278 terawatt hours of energy in the form of hydrogen annually. This corresponds to a third of today’s natural gas consumption, emphasized the association’s deputy chairman, Ralph Bahke.
Associations such as the German Energy Agency (dena) welcomed the approval as “groundbreaking”. The association of municipal companies pointed out that the core network alone would not be enough to connect many industrial and medium-sized companies that would also be dependent on gaseous energy sources in the future. For this, distribution networks are urgently needed, explained VKU Managing Director Ingbert Liebing. The distribution network operators have also so far lacked the legal basis for converting existing networks to green gases.
“North-south imbalance”: Union criticizes distribution of networks
The Union criticized the fact that, according to the plans, southern regions such as large parts of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria should not be connected to the core network for the time being. CDU energy politician Andreas Jung complained about a “North-South imbalance” and spoke of a “deep blow against the South” that could not be tolerated. “Large parts of Baden-Württemberg are simply being left behind.”
Habeck explained that economic considerations and the efficiency of the network played a role here. It was personally important to him that all federal states were connected first. Everything else is “not set in stone,” he emphasized.
Source: Stern
