The Austrian network operator Gas Connect Austria (GCA) plans to extend the "WAG Loop 1" pipeline to the German-Austrian border by mid-2027. The company announced its plans for the 40 km long pipeline at a press conference in Linz. The pipeline will also enable the transportation of hydrogen.
According to GCA, the expansion of WAG Loop 1 will give Austria access to gas sources from north-western Europe as well as LNG from the coasts of Germany, Belgium, Holland and France. In addition, WAG Loop 1 "paves the way to a green future with hydrogen": the planned expansion would allow natural gas and hydrogen to be transported simultaneously or side by side in the network via the parallel pipeline system and reach Austria. Domestic industry in the greater Linz area in particular would benefit from the supply of this sustainable gaseous energy source. This would create the basis for the transport corridors planned in the European Hydrogen Backbone.
The project planning envisages potential completion in early to mid-2027. Implementation requires government support and an adapted tariff system, as the costs of the pipeline expansion cannot currently be recovered via the market. Normally, network expansions are triggered by market demand and financially secured through long-term bookings. However, this is not the case for the WAG Loop 1 project, as the expansion is solely aimed at increasing security of supply.
Status of the West Austria Gas Pipeline (WAG)
The transport capacity from Germany at the Oberkappel and Überackern border points will increase by a total of around 30% or 27 TWh per year. In addition, the increase in capacity will bring more flexibility in terms of injection and withdrawal to and from the Haidach and Seven Fields gas storage facilities in Upper Austria.
The West Austria Gas Pipeline (WAG), which went into operation in 1980, runs for 245 km between the Baumgarten gas hub on the border with Slovakia and Oberkappel on the border with Germany.
It was originally designed and technically optimized for transporting gas from east to west. Over the last few years, however, the demand for transportation in the opposite direction - i.e. from west to east - has increased more and more.
The Ukraine conflict and the associated uncertainty on the European energy markets are responsible for this. The WAG can be operated in reverse flow, delivering around 90 TWH/year to Austria.
Facts and technical details about the WAG Loop project
- 40 kilometer parallel line from Oberkappel to Bad Leonfelden in Upper Austria
- Project duration: 3.5 years in total, including 1 year of pure construction time
- Capacity increase: 27 TWh/year (2.5 billion m³) corresponds to +30
- Pipeline diameter 1.2 m
- New pipeline will run parallel to the existing pipeline as far as possible
- Overlap of at least 1.2 m
- Can be used for hydrogen transportation in the future
- Investment required: around 200 million euros
