Building a Green Hydrogen Corridor: Connecting Southeast Europe to Germany
Key Ideas
  • Gas operators from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic are in talks to establish a hydrogen corridor reaching Germany, aligning with the latter's growing hydrogen import demand.
  • Each country's gas operator will need to upgrade infrastructure to transport hydrogen, with Romania facing the most significant system upgrades.
  • Greece's DESFA is considering a green hydrogen corridor not yet included in its ten-year investment plan, inspired by the Vertical Gas Corridor initiative for natural gas from Greece to Ukraine.
  • While renewable energy deployment is progressing in the region, green hydrogen production faces challenges, with some projects abandoned but others like Motor Oil's electrolyzer project aiming to produce green hydrogen by 2026.
The gas transmission system operators of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic are in discussions to create a hydrogen corridor extending to Germany to meet the latter's increasing demand for hydrogen imports. The plan is still in its early stages, focusing on infrastructure upgrades to enable hydrogen transportation, with Romania identified for requiring the most substantial system enhancements. The initiative, not yet part of Greece's DESFA investment program or the EU's projects of common interest, draws inspiration from the Vertical Gas Corridor for natural gas delivery to Ukraine. In parallel, developments like the Green Aegean electricity transmission project and the North-South Electricity Corridor are advancing the region's energy connectivity. However, while renewable energy projects are flourishing in Greece and the surrounding countries, the green hydrogen sector faces challenges. Some projects have been abandoned, causing concerns about premature investments. Notably, the Green HiPo project in Western Macedonia was removed from Greece's development plan, contrasting with Motor Oil's progress in establishing an electrolyzer for green hydrogen production by 2026. Despite market rationalization due to stalled initiatives, regional advancements like Serbia's pilot project for green hydrogen with a German partner signify steps towards sustainable energy practices.
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