Italy and Germany want to circumvent the Alps by transforming gas pipelines into ones capable of carrying hydrogen, a clean burning gas that Berlin hopes will aid it in decarbonising its industry.
The German government is poised to put its weight behind a network of hydrogen pipelines stretching 9,700 kilometres and coming at a cost of €20 billion in a bid to solve the hydrogen economy’s ‘chicken-and-egg’ dilemna.
Germany will not be able to meet all of its hydrogen demand from piped gas, the cheapest way of transporting hydrogen, forcing the country to rely on costlier shipping options instead, according to a new study by influential think-tank Agora Energiewende.
The hydrogen industry is cautious about making final investment decisions in Europe as EU regulators struggle to complete the bloc’s regulatory puzzle.
