The Franco-German hydrogen economy is picking up speed, as a demand survey for the cross-border hydrogen projects RHYn and RHYn Interco shows. From 2028, hydrogen transport between Baden-Württemberg and the French Grand Est region is to be made possible via converted natural gas pipelines.
The Franco-German survey on hydrogen demand and production potential took place between September 18 and November 17, 2023 in the Southern Upper Rhine (Germany) and Grand Est (France) regions. The responsible grid operators GRTgaz, Terranets BW and Badenova's infrastructure subsidiary Badenova Netze GmbH concluded that the high demand from German industrial companies can be met by new production facilities in France.
The survey was aimed specifically at companies that produce or want to purchase hydrogen in large quantities. On the German side, the rural and urban districts of Freiburg, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Emmendingen and Ortenau were addressed; on the French side, it was the entire Grand Est region.
In the next step, the companies involved can commission a feasibility analysis for a hydrogen grid connection from Badenova Netze GmbH.
High German demand could be covered by high production capacities in France
According to Badenova, ten companies from various sectors reported their hydrogen requirements from 2028 and up to 2035. Six of them come from the Freiburg area, four others from the Kehl area. What they all have in common is that they currently use natural gas and want to switch to a climate-friendly alternative. According to Badenova, the companies reported a total demand of around 1.5 TWh of energy from hydrogen from 2028, rising to around 1.9 TWh by 2035.
Companies with high energy requirements in particular showed great interest in pipeline-based hydrogen supply. Project manager Leonie Meyer from Badenova Netze GmbH was delighted with the positive feedback from potential large-scale hydrogen consumers. In addition to the companies identified, it may also be possible to find interested parties for a pipeline-based hydrogen supply. In addition to Freiburg and Kehl, the area around Bad Krozingen near Freiburg close to the German-French border offers "ideal conditions" for this.
While the feedback from the German side was purely purchase-oriented, GRTgaz also received responses from potential hydrogen producers. According to the grid operator, preliminary results of the call showed great potential for production and export in the Grand Est region. GRTgaz and Terranets BW are currently conducting an in-depth analysis to determine the next steps for the interconnection of their grids.
RHYn Interco project has PCI status
On November 23, 2023, the European Commission published the final list of its "Projects of Common Interest". This confirmed the relevance of 166 projects in terms of climate protection policy, including 65 projects in the field of hydrogen and electrolysers. PCI status is a criterion for inclusion in the German hydrogen core network.
