Minister President Malu Dreyer visited the construction site of the TENP III (Trans Europa Naturgas Pipeline) gas pipeline in the Palatinate Forest near Hauenstein on 29 April. She accepted an invitation from the two gas network operators OGE and Fluxys to see the progress of the construction work for herself.
TENP III is the technically necessary construction of a new pipeline section and guarantees security of supply in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany and Europe. In future, it will also be used to transport hydrogen, which was an important part of the discussions.
Overcoming special challenges in the construction of the pipeline section
During the visit, OGE and Fluxys used various exhibits to explain the replacement of the pipeline in the existing route. The technically complex procedure in the challenging terrain of the 51 km long section in Rhineland-Palatinate between Mittelbrunn and Klingenmünster (including steep slopes in the Palatinate Forest) was explained with the help of aerial photographs.
Experts also explained the topographically and infrastructurally challenging framework conditions of the construction project to the invited guests from state and local politics.
Future plans: Diversification of German H2 imports
Representatives from Fluxys and OGE explicitly discussed the importance of the newly laid pipeline, which is already „H2-ready“, for the climate-neutral transformation with the Minister President. In the future, it should be possible to use the section of the TENP pipeline running south of Mittelbrunn to transport hydrogen from Italy via Switzerland to Germany.
With this so-called „Alpine HyWay“, which is part of the European Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP), OGE and Fluxys are pursuing the goal of strengthening the diversification of German hydrogen imports.
„As one of the most important natural gas connections in Europe, the Trans Europa Naturgas Pipeline (TENP) guarantees security of supply in Rhineland-Palatinate“, said Minister President Malu Dreyer during her visit to the site. „It is H2-ready and therefore also a very important building block in the green transformation of our state.“
(Quelle: OGE)
