In a strategic step to promote the integration of hydrogen into the energy system, GASCADE Gastransport GmbH has taken over the grid connection of the planned 1 GW hydrogen plant of HH2E AG in Lubmin. HH2E AG plans to produce the first green hydrogen at this site by the end of 2025, which can then be successively blended with natural gas from the European Gas Pipeline Link (EUGAL 1 and 2) via the newly created GASCADE pipeline.
Long-term hydrogen blending
The hydrogen transport route between the HH2E site in Lubmin and the EUGAL pipelines will be via newly constructed pipelines. According to a recently published press release from GASCADE, it is initially planned to gradually blend the hydrogen from Lubmin with the natural gas from EUGAL. This admixture proportion is to be successively increased. As soon as the planned infrastructure for the "Flow - making hydrogen happen" project is ready, GASCADE plans to transport the HH2E hydrogen in 100% pure form to southern Germany, as GASCADE Managing Director Ulrich Benterbusch explained.
The pipeline system planned as part of "Flow" stretches from the Baltic Sea coast to southern Germany and forms a significant part of the hydrogen core network, which is still in the planning stage and was classified as a "Project of Common Interest" (PCI) by the European Commission in December 2023.
The agreement between GASCADE and HH2E marks the first long-term hydrogen blending contract for both companies. After a year of intensive technical planning, the connection will enable a continuous feed-in of green hydrogen from Lubmin into the EUGAL grid.
Benefits of hydrogen blending
GASCADE emphasizes the advantages of blending hydrogen with natural gas, including the reduction of CO2 emissions, the cost-effective use of the existing natural gas infrastructure as a transition strategy and the increase in energy security through diversification of the fuel supply.
Meanwhile, Lubmin is becoming a central hub for the production of both imported and domestically produced hydrogen in Germany. This is also underlined by other players such as Lhyfe and Apex, who have also announced large production facilities in this region. At the same time, HH2E is pursuing ambitious plans to build a total of 4 GW of production capacity in Germany by 2030, with a focus on the east of the country.
