On February 15, the AquaDuctus H2 pipeline planned by GASCADE Gastransport GmbH in the North Sea received state aid approval from the EU Commission under the IPCEI Hydrogen scheme.
The first project section of AquaDuctus, which has now been notified as IPCEI, provides for the construction of an offshore pipeline around 200 km long and an onshore pipeline around 100 km long. Their transport capacities are to be available from 2030, in particular for the SEN-1 H2 wind farm northwest of Helgoland.
With the aim of creating a demand-oriented hydrogen infrastructure for north-western Europe, the entire German "exclusive economic zone" (EEZ) is to be developed with the second offshore project section, which is also around 200 km long.
Major significance for the European H2 infrastructure
"AquaDuctus will collect the green hydrogen produced in the North Sea and transport it to the German mainland. The offshore pipeline will also act as a hub for neighboring hydrogen infrastructures and establish a connection between European production and demand centers", says GASCADE Managing Director Christoph von dem Bussche, outlining the project approach.
"Today's decision in Brussels confirms our assessment that AquaDuctus is one of the important pipeline projects with the task of driving the European hydrogen market ramp-up", says AquaDuctus project manager Oliver Reimuth. "By providing the necessary infrastructure, we give potential hydrogen producers the certainty that they can make their investments in production plants.
AquaDuctus is already part of the draft of the German hydrogen core network and has also had the status of a ‚Project of Common Interest‘ (PCI) since November 2023", continued Reimuth. "The IPCEI notification received today underlines and strengthens the European component of the AquaDuctus project, which will enable an offshore connection from Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK with the second project phase."
(Quelle: GASCADE)
