EUSTREAM, Gas TSO of Ukraine (GTSOU), NET4GAS and OGE have joined forces to develop a hydrogen highway through Central Europe. The focus of the joint initiative called the Central European Hydrogen Corridor is on developing a hydrogen “highway” in Central Europe for the transport of hydrogen from promising future major hydrogen supply areas in Ukraine that offers excellent conditions for large-scale, green hydrogen production via Slovakia and the Czech Republic to large hydrogen demand areas in Germany and the EU.

The hydrogen corridor will also enable transporting hydrogen between hydrogen production facilities and hydrogen consumers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Slovakia and the Czech Republic are operating a large natural gas pipeline corridor connecting Ukraine with European demand areas. The Slovak, Czech and German gas pipeline systems can be repurposed to transport hydrogen.

"Our robust transmission system would offer a flexible and very cost-effective way of transporting green energy further to EU markets," Rastislav Ňukovič, EUSTREAM’s General Director said. "We are committed to making our infrastructure hydrogen-ready and thus strongly contribute to the EU’s decarbonization objectives."

Germany is expected to become a major demand area of hydrogen in Europe. Importing a significant amount of hydrogen is essential to meet the projected demand in this region. The partners have already started to explore the technical feasibility of creating a Central European Hydrogen Corridor for the transportation of up to 120 GWh per day of pure hydrogen from Ukraine to Germany by 2030.

"A transnational hydrogen network is essential for a future European hydrogen market. The Central European Hydrogen Corridor is an important step on the way there as it offers the possibility of delivering substantial amounts of hydrogen to German industrial demand centers already by 2030," said Dr Jörg Bergmann, OGE’s CEO. "One thing, after all, is certain. Without the widespread use of hydrogen alongside renewable energy, we will be unable to reach our climate targets."