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Ramp-Up of H2 Economy in Europe: PNE Receives Green Light From EU Commission to Review Hydrogen Production Project

Cuxhaven, Germany - A prerequisite for the ramp-up of European hydrogen production is a comprehensive infrastructure in the area of gas and electricity grids. PNE AG has entered into a cooperation with the Polish gas grid operator GAZ-System and the German company GASCADE Gastransport GmbH. The project has now been awarded a grant by the EU Commission.

Green hydrogen must be available in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices if the transition to green energy is to succeed, particularly in the steel and chemical industries. The Cross Border Pomeranian Green Hydrogen Cluster combines favorable, extensive production conditions with low distribution costs, which are possible thanks to the direct connection to the European hydrogen network.

Wind farms and photovoltaic plants with more than 2,000 MW planned in Poland

An extensive gas and electricity grid infrastructure is required to connect hydrogen production. To this end, PNE AG has entered into a cooperation with the Polish gas network operator GAZ-System and the German company GASCADE Gastransport GmbH.

In the cross-border project Pomeranian Green Hydrogen Cluster, the Polish PNE subsidiary Sevivon is planning the construction of wind farms and photovoltaic plants with a total nominal output of around 2,000 MW (2.0 GW) in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. These plants will be used to generate electricity for the production of green hydrogen in two 500 MW electrolysers. The hydrogen will then be used to decarbonize parts of the industry that cannot be electrified.

PNE has now been given the green light to receive EU funding for the project. Together with the Polish and German gas grid operators GAZ-System and GASCADE, PNE was selected from numerous applications for EU support. The aim of the funded project phase is to investigate the possibilities for connection to the European hydrogen grid.

„We are pleased to announce another milestone for one of the largest internal production of green hydrogen in Europe. With this project, we hope to contribute significantly to the market ramp-up of green hydrogen and to make a substantial contribution to independent energy security,” says PNE CEO Per Hornung Pedersen about the project.

EU supports feasibility studies for connecting electrolyzers to European hydrogen network

The financial support is being provided by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) as part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program. In a first step, this funding will be used to finance feasibility studies for connecting the electrolysers to the European hydrogen network. This includes the planned connection to the national hydrogen network in Poland as well as the cross-border connection of the German and Polish networks. The award provides for a funding amount of 190,000 euros.

EU member states plan European Hydrogen Backbone - green light for construction of hydrogen core network in Germany

In the future, the emerging networks of the EU member states are to be connected via a European hydrogen backbone. The first expansion stage for this is the total of 4,500 kilometers of pipelines in the IPCEI hydrogen infrastructure projects across Europe (1,500 km new construction and 3,000 km conversion of natural gas pipelines), including cross-border connections.

According to the National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS), this nucleus for a European network is to be rapidly expanded in Germany with the participating member states so that EU-wide distribution of hydrogen produced or imported within Europe to the main application centers is ensured.

As part of the NWS, the German government is focusing on creating connections to neighboring countries and thus establishing a well-developed network in Central Europe with links to the potential production centers in Scandinavia, Southern and Eastern Europe as well as to the strategically located import hubs in Western Europe.

The core element of the supra-regional hydrogen network in Germany is the hydrogen core network recently approved by the Federal Network Agency. The network contains a total of 9,040 kilometers of pipelines, which are to go into operation successively by 2032. The core network will be used for the supra-regional transportation of hydrogen. The first lines are to go into operation as early as 2025, with further expansion planned in stages up to the target year of 2032.



Source: IWR Online, 11 Nov 2024