The transmission system operator (FNB) Terranets BW has put the first section of the South German Gas Pipeline (SEL) into operation. The 24-kilometer network section is H2-ready and is intended to supply industry and households in Baden-Württemberg with hydrogen from 2030. The SEL extends over a total length of 250 kilometers, from the Hessian state border via Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Ludwigsburg, Esslingen am Neckar, Göppingen, and Heidenheim to Bavaria. The implementation is taking place in several sections. While the restoration of the areas used in the first construction phase is to be completed by the end of 2025, preparations for the next construction sections in the Rhine-Neckar region and the greater Stuttgart area are already underway.
As a contribution to the energy transition, Terranets BW plans all conversion and expansion measures to be "H2-ready", meaning designed for hydrogen transport. After approval from the Federal Network Agency on October 22, a nationwide hydrogen pipeline network with a length of over 9,000 kilometers could be created by 2032. The SEL is set to become an important part of this network. The transmission system operator plans to gradually convert its entire gas transport network (length: approx. 2,750 kilometers) in Baden-Württemberg and Hesse to hydrogen.
Part of the Hydrogen Core Network
Katrin Flinspach, Managing Director of Terranets BW, explained the strategic significance of the project in a press release on December 6: "The SEL is an integral part of the energy transition. In the first phase, it enables the phase-out of coal-fired power generation by supplying modern gas power plants. From the beginning of the 2030s, it will supply central consumption centers in Baden-Württemberg, particularly the Rhine-Neckar region and the greater Stuttgart area, with hydrogen as part of the hydrogen core network."
Through the "H2 für BW" platform, the transmission system operator shares its hydrogen plans and specific conversion projects. Additionally, it will capture future hydrogen requirements here. In collaboration with network operators and hydrogen producers, reliable transport routes from production sources to consumption centers in Baden-Württemberg are to be created.
