According to Ukrainian gas firm sources, the “Central European Hydrogen Corridor” plan aims to transport hydrogen from prospective producing locations in Ukraine to Germany and other EU nations via Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
It is a collaboration between eustream, a Slovak gas pipeline operator, Net4Gas, a Czech gas pipeline operator, Open Grid Europe (OGE), a German pipeline network operator, and a Ukrainian gas pipeline business.
By the end of 2022, everyone engaged in the project will get a scientific and technical rationale for the project, on the basis of which the projected costs and capabilities will be determined, according to Andreas Rau, Managing Director of Net4Gas. The corridor will be created by repurposing existing gas infrastructure and investing strategically in new, specialized hydrogen pipes.
According to OGE managing director Jörg Bergmann, the initiative is critical for the future of the European hydrogen industry. He claims that without the usage of hydrogen and renewable energy sources, EU countries would be unable to meet their climate goals. The establishment of a Central European Hydrogen Corridor is a significant step in this direction, since it allows for the delivery of large amounts of hydrogen to industrial demand centers by 2030.
By 2050, hydrogen will play a significant role, according to Pawel Stantschak, deputy general director of the Ukrainian gas pipeline operator: “Hydrogen is a promising technology that is still in its infancy as a commercial product. Synergies would be created for the development of green hydrogen as a result of the collaboration with adjacent gas pipeline owners “he stated emphatically
