The gas transmission system operator (TSO) Gascade has filled the first section of its hydrogen network Flow – making hydrogen happen. By the end of 2025, approximately 400 kilometers of existing natural gas pipelines will be converted. The project forms an important part of the German core network and is therefore part of the German hydrogen strategy.
With the initial filling of the first section of Flow – making hydrogen happen, Gascade is doing "pioneering work in the hydrogen sector" and writing "energy history," according to a company press release issued Wednesday (March 12). The conversion of the pipelines is not only a technical success but also "a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and promoting renewable energies."
Gascade did not specify the exact amount of hydrogen injected. According to the TSO, current operations are taking place in Brandenburg, though the exact starting point of the initial filling remains unknown. CEO and PRE-ENNOH President Christoph von dem Bussche stated: "We are proud to already be starting the commissioning of the first large-scale hydrogen pipelines in Germany, thereby providing planning security for the market ramp-up to other stages of the value chain worldwide."
Flow project connects Baltic Sea with Central Germany
In a conversation with H2News at the beginning of February, von dem Bussche outlined the route of the north-south corridor. Accordingly, the pipeline section of the "Flow – making hydrogen happen" project runs from the Baltic Sea coast to Bobbau in Saxony-Anhalt.
Von dem Bussche also explained that Flow is part of a larger plan: With the converted and new pipelines, Gascade aims to open import corridors in the North and Baltic Sea regions for Germany and Europe. The pipelines should be able to accept hydrogen from both offshore and onshore production. This could improve investment security for other actors in the value chain and thus help solve the chicken-and-egg problem.
"The Flow – making hydrogen happen program is a central component of Gascade's strategy to provide existing infrastructure quickly and cost-effectively for hydrogen transport. The conversion of the pipelines creates the foundation for a secure and efficient hydrogen supply in Germany," said Managing Director Ulrich Benterbusch in the press release dated March 12.
Pipeline conversion as part of H2 infrastructure
The program manager of the Flow project, which was launched at the end of 2022, Dirk Flandrich, emphasized that Gascade is setting a "new standard in the industry" with the initial filling. The TSO plans to gradually convert its pipeline network for hydrogen transport and is therefore active in several onshore and offshore hydrogen projects.
With the initial filling of the Flow section, an important milestone for the German hydrogen core network has been reached. According to plans from the industry association FNB Gas, a total of 525 kilometers of hydrogen pipelines will be commissioned this year – the majority through the conversion of existing natural gas infrastructure.
Hydrogen highway to promote investments
The centerpiece of this first expansion phase is the now-initiated conversion of the nearly 400-kilometer pipeline route from the Baltic Sea coast near Lubmin through the Uckermark and Radeland to the Bitterfeld-Wolfen region in Saxony-Anhalt. Gascade is using various sections of the existing OPAL and JAGAL pipelines: 112.3 kilometers on the Lubmin-Uckermark route, 169.5 kilometers from Uckermark to Radeland, and another 114 kilometers from Radeland to Bobbau.
This north-south connection creates strategically important infrastructure for Germany's future hydrogen supply, enabling both the transport of imported hydrogen from the Baltic Sea region and the connection to central industrial sites in Central Germany. The financing of the hydrogen core network is initially secured through a KfW loan of 24 billion euros for the so-called "amortization account," which is intended to compensate for the difference between the initially low revenues of the network operators and their high investment costs.
