German regulators approve construction of nationwide hydrogen network

German regulators have given approval for the construction of a nationwide network of hydrogen pipelines, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck announced on Tuesday.

Planners expect hydrogen to be an increasingly important energy source as Germany transitions away from fossil fuels and toward an economy built on renewable energy.

“Today, the hydrogen core network has been decided. It is not yet finished – but it will now be built,” Habeck, a Green party member, said at a press conference.

Habeck noted that the regulatory approval came two and a half years since the network was proposed, a timeline he praised as “record-breaking.”

Some sections to be completed before the target year of 2032. Total project costs are forecast at €19.8 billion ($21 billion), which will be borne largely by the private sector, although state subsidies will cap network charges.

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 every year.

That is the equivalent to a third of Germany’s current natural gas consumption, said Ralph Bahke, deputy chairman of the association.

However, with a total distance of 9,040 kilometres, the network will be significantly smaller than initially assumed. Germany’s Federal Network Agency removed more than 600 kilometres from the original plan.

Federal Network Agency President Klaus Müller justified the cuts with the reduction of “redundancies” and connection lines that were not needed in the core network.