Construction on Germany's hydrogen core grid to commence in 2025 - media report

The buildout of crucial energy infrastructure in Germany is making progress: The first 525 kilometres of Germany's hydrogen core grid will be built in 2025, with gas operators telling news agency dpa they don't foresee any delays.  

Some 507 kilometres will be converted from existing gas pipelines, while the rest will be newly constructed. The plan is to ready the pipelines to transport hydrogen – a key technology in Germany's decarbonisation plans. But industry association FNB Gas said they were unable to tell whether the fuel will actually flow to customers this year. "That comes down to the market, the traders," said FNB Gas. In 2026, a further 142 kilometres of hydrogen pipelines will be completed.  

All of the 9,040 kilometres-long core grid should be completed by 2032. The private sector will pay the total costs of around 19 billion euros, aided by state support through a capping of grid fees, wrote dpa. All federal states will be connected to the network, which will link the focal points of hydrogen production, consumption, storage and import. When the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) approved the key energy transition infrastructure in October 2024, economy minister Robert Habeck likened the hydrogen grid to the autobahn (Germany's motorway) with big main roads and smaller feeder roads.  

BNetzA also approved around 1,400 kilometres of new power lines in 2024, more than double the previous year. "This will allow us to make great strides forward in the energy transition," said Klaus Müller, BNetzA president, referring to the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable power sources. The agency plans to issue permits for a total of around 4,400 kilometres of power lines by the end of 2025.