Page 10 - EurOil Week 14 2022

EurOil ENERGY TRANSITION EurOil

Europe ups ambitions for

hydrogen network

RUSSIA EUROPEAN gas transmission system operators from Morocco.
(TSOs) are broadening the scope of their plan to A third corridor in the North Sea would
The stepping up of create a continental hydrogen network, targeting build on plans by the Netherlands for a hydro-
ambitions comes after a system of pipelines nearly 28,000 km in size by gen network by 2027, expanding this network to
the EU published its 2030 and 53,000 km by 2040. connect Rotterdam with the ports of Zeebrugge
RePowerEU strategy. Under the initiative, known as European and Antwerp in Belgium, Wilhelmshaven and
Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) and involving Brunsbuttel in Germany and Le Havre in France.
23 TSOs across Europe, 60% of the network All of these ports are expected to bring ashore
would consist of repurposed existing gas pipe- hydrogen in the future.
lines, while the remaining 40% would be new A fourth Nordic and Baltic corridor would
pipelines. This time last year, EHB proposed a take advantage of offshore wind potential and
network of only 11,600 km in size by 2030 and could support hydrogen exports to Central
39,700 km by 2040. Europe, EHB said. This would mostly comprise
The stepping up of EHB’s ambitions comes new pipelines, making funding and a quick
after the EU published its Repower EU strategy permitting and planning process essential. The
aimed at reducing reliance on Russian gas, which fifth would run through Eastern and Southeast
called for the use of 20.6mn tonnes per year of Europe, linking buyers in Central Europe to
green hydrogen by the end of the decade, includ- regions with abundant renewable energy poten-
ing 10mn tpy that would be imported. tial, like Romania, Greece and Ukraine, through
EHB proposes five supply and import corri- repurposed gas pipelines. But EHB noted there
dors by 2030. One would connect supplies from was uncertainty about the evolution of future
Tunisia and Algeria through Italy to Central natural gas supplies through this region, which
Europe, taking advantage of existing pipelines in would affect how this corridor takes shape.
Italy, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The transport cost for hydrogen through
A southwest corridor would meanwhile pump onshore pipelines will be around €0.11-0.21 per
green hydrogen produced in the Iberian penin- kg per 1,000 km, according to EHB, while the
sula through France and into Western Germany, cost along subsea pipelines would be €0.17-0.32
and could eventually provide access to imports per kg. ™

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 14 07•April•2022