To ensure coordinated cooperation in the development of a hydrogen economy in the Baltic Sea region, the European transmission system operators (TSOs) GAZ-SYSTEM Poland), Elering (Estonia), Energinet (Denmark), Gasgrid Vetyverkot (Finland), Amber Grid (Lithuania), Nordion Energi (Sweden), GASCADE Gastransport (Germany), Conexus Baltic Grid (Latvia) and ONTRAS Gastransport (Germany) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. This was announced on 17 June.
The co-operation partners have set themselves the goal of jointly coordinating the regional development of infrastructure projects for the transport and storage of hydrogen, as well as exchanging information on developments in the H2 market and on projects related to the production and demand of renewable H2. The companies work in close coordination with the EU group BEMIP (Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan).
Baltic Sea region offers optimal conditions for hydrogen production
With its renewable resources, the Baltic Sea region should offer the best conditions for providing up to 45 % of the planned clean hydrogen by 2030 as part of the REPowerEU plan.
The great potential for onshore and offshore wind power plants could be utilised to develop a hydrogen market. With this goal in mind, a new hydrogen pipeline infrastructure is currently being built by infrastructure and industrial companies operating in the Baltic Sea region.
„We are delighted to be part of this important and necessary cooperation between the transmission system operators in the Baltic Sea region“, says GASCADE Managing Director Ulrich Benterbusch. „The hydrogen infrastructure in and around the Baltic Sea must be planned and built in an integrated manner. This is the only way to utilise the hydrogen potential on our doorstep - both onshore and offshore.“
The goal is an independent and secure European energy system
There are already several cross-border hydrogen infrastructure projects around the Baltic Sea: the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor, the Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector, the Bornholm-Lubmin Interconnector and the Nordic Hydrogen Route.
Gas infrastructure operators are also planning the coordinated implementation of further projects for cross-border interconnectors, domestic backbones and hydrogen storage facilities.
In addition to implementing the REPowerEU plan, the infrastructural development also takes into account the objectives of the Marienborg Declaration, which was signed by the prime ministers of the Baltic Sea states in 2022 and provides for „exploring joint cross-border renewable energy projects and identifying infrastructure needs“.
The overarching goal of both agendas is to reduce Europe's dependence on imported Russian fossil fuels, to accelerate the realisation of European climate targets and to improve the security and resilience of the European energy system. Hydrogen is to play a key role in this and contribute to the development of a flexible, secure, resilient, sustainable and integrated pan-European energy system. The planned hydrogen infrastructure should be in place across Finland, Sweden, the Baltic States, Poland and Germany by 2030.
(Quelle: GASCADE)
