Friedrich Vorwerk, as part of a joint venture, has secured a major contract to build the H2Coastlink 1 hydrogen pipeline between Emden and Leer in northwest Germany, advancing a key segment of the country's planned hydrogen backbone.

The contract, awarded through EWE NETZ GmbH on behalf of project developer and transmission operator GTG Nord GmbH, covers construction of approximately 24 kilometers (15 miles) of DN 400 high-pressure hydrogen pipeline, along with connecting pipelines linking a future hydrogen production facility in Emden to the regional and national hydrogen network.

The project is valued in the tens of millions of euros, with preparatory work scheduled to begin this summer. The pipeline is expected to enter service in fall 2027.

H2Coastlink 1 will connect the 320-MW electrolyzer under construction at Emden-Borssum, operated by EWE Hydrogen GmbH, to hydrogen infrastructure in Leer, where it will tie into Gasunie Deutschland's HyPerLink hydrogen backbone and GTG Nord's existing gas transmission system.

The project is part of Germany's 9,000-km hydrogen core network and is supported through the federal IPCEI Hydrogen program and the state of Lower Saxony. The planned route includes approximately 90 crossings, with environmentally sensitive areas, waterways and transportation corridors to be crossed using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) where appropriate.

Friedrich Vorwerk said the expanding hydrogen network is driving demand for new pipeline construction and conversions across Germany.

"Given the need to connect numerous new hydrogen and power plant sites to the existing network, as well as the planned realization of Germany's approximately 9,000-km core hydrogen network, network operators are advancing numerous new construction and conversion projects."

The company said its pipeline construction experience and broad engineering capabilities position it to benefit from continued investment in hydrogen infrastructure.