Creos Luxembourg, Fluxys hydrogen in Belgium and GRTgaz in France announce the inclusion of the cross-border hydrogen infrastructure project HY4Link in the European Hydrogen Network Development Plan and have signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding. The aim of this is to intensify cross-border cooperation on hydrogen infrastructure.
With HY4Link, the project partners will carry out feasibility studies for an integrated cross-border hydrogen transport system in the Greater Region after assessing consumption and transit needs. The initiative proposes to connect Belgium, Luxembourg, the Grand Est region in France and the federal state of Saarland in Germany, thus becoming a central component of the European hydrogen infrastructure.
„HY4Link will contribute to the development of a regional hydrogen economy and provide local industrial customers with access to a competitive renewable hydrogen to accelerate their decarbonisation“, said Sandrine Meunier, CEO of GRTgaz.
Important contribution to the development of an efficient hydrogen infrastructure
HY4Link is strategically designed to connect industrial H2 demand clusters in France, Germany and Luxembourg with the green hydrogen supply centres along the North Sea coast and the import centres in Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam and Dunkirk.
The project aims to make a significant contribution to the development of an efficient hydrogen infrastructure as a key element of a decarbonised energy ecosystem. In addition, HY4Link aims to promote the decentralised production of green hydrogen throughout the Greater Region by providing the necessary H2 transport infrastructure.
Several interconnected grids planned
For the French-Luxembourgish part of HY4Link, Creos Luxembourg and GRTgaz will jointly examine the possibility of developing an interconnected grid from Bouzonville (FR) via Thionville to Frisange in the south of Luxembourg and connecting it to the mosaHYc project. The cross-border connection between France and Luxembourg should be a starting point for the development of a hydrogen infrastructure in the south of Luxembourg.
For the Belgian-Luxembourgish part of HY4Link, a possible pipeline connection is being considered in cooperation between Creos and Fluxys hydrogen to connect Luxembourg to the Belgian hydrogen backbone via the border crossing point Bras (BE).
This will be complemented by the construction of a hydrogen pipeline through Luxembourg to France and Germany, supported by GRTgaz's intention to build a new pipeline from Thionville to Cerville to connect to the H2Med corridor and a regional hydrogen storage project.
Pascal De Buck, Managing Director and CEO of Fluxys, on the projects: „The creation of cross-border interconnections is key to developing an optimised diversity and security of hydrogen supply. The HY4Link project is a further step towards making Belgium a hydrogen import and transit hub for north-west Europe.“
New impetus for the labour market through cross-sector CO2 reduction
The project partners want to actively drive forward the transformation of the economy and society in the Greater Region by decarbonising the energy sector. HY4Link not only aims to facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions in various sectors such as industry and transport, but also to create sustainable employment opportunities that will contribute to the long-term prosperity of the region.
Laurence Zenner, CEO of Creos Luxembourg, emphasised the importance of HY4Link and explained: „By connecting industrial demand clusters with green hydrogen producers along the North Sea coast, HY4Link will play a central role in the decarbonisation efforts in Luxembourg and the Greater Region.“
(Quelle: GRT gaz)
