GASCADE announces Baltic hydrogen pipeline

LONDON (ICIS)–A German-Danish cooperation project aims to construct the first hydrogen pipeline in the Baltic Sea with an import capacity of 10GW, German pipeline operator GASCADE announced on 2 February.

The proposed 140km hydrogen pipeline, named “H2 Interconnector”, is planned to connect the Danish island of Bornholm and its surrounding offshore wind farms to the German Baltic coast near Lubmin. A feasibility study for the pipeline connection has been carried out with positive results, the 2 February announcement stated. Further, an application for European Project of Common Interest (PCI) status, a fast-track for funding and permitting, has been submitted for the project.

GASCADE expects the pipeline to go into operation in 2027 and provide a capacity of up to 10GW when completed in the 2030s. It will extend the hydrogen highway FLOW – making hydrogen happen, a planned 1,100km pipeline system running through Germany to the Czech Republic with a capacity of up to 20GW.

H2 Interconnector will be developed by GASCADE with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners as a potential investor and Danish transmission system operator Energinet also involved. Managing Director of GASCADE, Christoph von dem Bussche, said “In this way, we support the climate targets for 2030 and ensure that Germany and Europe can supply themselves with hydrogen produced in Europe.”

ICIS Power Horizon Forecast showed that hydrogen production capacity in Germany is expected to increase from 10GW in 2023 to 29GW in 2030. Meanwhile, German cross-border interconnector capacity to increase from 3GW in 2023 to 136GW in 2030. Ensuring hydrogen transport infrastructure keeps up with hydrogen production will important be an important factor for the developing European hydrogen market.