The European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) is an initiative by European gas network operators to establish a Europe-wide hydrogen transport network. Launched in 2020 by 31 European gas network operators, the project aims to connect industrial clusters, ports, and hydrogen valleys into an integrated network. By linking production sites and consumption centers with underground storage facilities, the EHB aims to ensure Europe’s security of supply with green hydrogen.
The planned network is expected to consist of approximately 70 percent converted natural gas pipelines and 30 percent newly constructed hydrogen pipelines. Depending on the estimate, the investment costs for conversion and new construction range from 43 to 81 billion euros. The project is to be financed through both public and private funds.
Today, 32 European gas infrastructure companies from 25 EU member states, as well as Norway, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, participate in the EHB. Planning and coordination take place on a cross-border basis. The first European Hydrogen Backbone Day took place on June 7, 2022. The CEOs of the participating companies submitted a commitment to the European Commission to establish supply corridors by 2030 to create a European market. They presented an updated roadmap in December 2023.
European Hydrogen Strategy
The European hydrogen supply is currently getting off the ground. It is based primarily on three pillars: solar energy from southern European regions, offshore wind from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, onshore wind from Eastern Europe, and hydrogen imports from countries outside the EU. Experts expect that hydrogen imports from Namibia, Chile, Australia, and the Middle East will supplement existing natural gas imports and account for a significant share of future hydrogen supplies.
By 2030, the EU aims to produce more than 10 million metric tons of green hydrogen domestically and import an additional 10 million metric tons. European production alone would require approximately 120 GW of installed offshore wind capacity. By 2050, demand in the EU is expected to rise to approximately 1,700 TWh of hydrogen per year.
The European Commission’s REPowerEU plan aims to reach a total of 20.6 million metric tons of hydrogen by 2030 to replace Russian natural gas. To this end, the EU has identified five pipeline corridors through which it intends to import hydrogen to Central Europe, each from regions with favorable production conditions.
The Five Pipeline Corridors
The Five Pipeline Corridors (© OGE)
Corridor 1 – Southern Europe
In Southern Europe, there are plans for a hydrogen corridor stretching from Tunisia and Algeria through Italy to Central Europe. It could utilize existing natural gas pipelines in Italy, Austria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
Corridor 2 – France, Portugal, Spain
A corridor is planned on the Iberian Peninsula for the export of green hydrogen produced there. New connections between Portugal and Spain, as well as France, could enable all three countries to use green hydrogen.
This corridor would extend all the way to Germany, and a connection to North Africa is also possible. This would allow hydrogen to be delivered cost-effectively to demand centers in Germany.
Corridor 3 – North Sea
Another interconnected corridor is to be developed in the North Sea region. This corridor will be based on offshore wind farms, large-scale integrated hydrogen projects, and maritime imports of hydrogen derivatives such as ammonia and methanol. The goal is to meet demand in the industrial clusters of Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Antwerp, Wilhelmshaven, Brunsbüttel, and Le Havre. Hydrogen clusters will emerge throughout Germany and will be connected to the hydrogen networks in other northwestern European countries.
Corridor 4 – Baltic Sea
A dedicated supply corridor will connect the hydrogen supply in the Nordic and Baltic countries with the rest of Europe, building on industrial clusters in Sweden, the Baltic states, and Poland. This corridor will consist primarily of newly built pipelines.
Corridor 5 – Eastern and Southeastern Europe
In Eastern and Southeastern Europe, a corridor will connect hydrogen production facilities in Central Europe with countries such as Romania, Greece, and Ukraine. The region’s large solar and wind energy capacities, combined with the potential to repurpose major gas transit pipelines, make it an attractive candidate for large-scale hydrogen production.
Current Planning Status (© EHB)
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