Exploration into hydrogen bonding's viability: a crucial move towards a fresh economic model and environmental safeguards
In a significant move towards a sustainable energy future, a feasibility study has been initiated to extend the hydrogen pipeline network to the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West area. This study, led by a gas pipeline operator, is a critical step in integrating the region into Germany's broader hydrogen infrastructure.
The hydrogen core network, a key component of Germany's energy transition, aims to connect industry, ports, storage facilities, and power plants. In the case of Neuss, hydrogen plays a central role in its heat planning, serving as a key technology to decarbonize industrial processes and provide climate-neutral heat in the long term. For Mayor Reiner Breuer, hydrogen is strategically important for the city, both for the future viability of industry and for climate protection.
Thyssengas, Düsseldorf's network company, Neuss's municipal utilities, and Speira are collaborating to explore network expansion in the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West area for hydrogen consumption. The three-stage concept for network expansion includes connecting to an existing natural gas pipeline for hydrogen use as part of the H2 core network. In the second stage, a short section of another Thyssengas pipeline will be converted for hydrogen use. Targeted new construction is planned for the third stage to directly connect industrial consumers and establish network coupling with distribution network operators.
The expansion of the hydrogen pipeline network directly contributes to the growth of the federal hydrogen core network (German: Wasserstoff-Leitungsnetz), a 9,700-kilometer pipeline network planned to be built in Germany by 2032. This integration supports Germany's ambitious hydrogen ramp-up strategy by enhancing regional access to hydrogen, facilitating industrial decarbonization, and strengthening supply security in North Rhine-Westphalia, one of Germany's major industrial centers.
The progress in the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West area is not limited to pipeline expansion. Europe's most powerful hydrogen refueling station has recently been inaugurated in Düsseldorf, reflecting complementary progress in hydrogen infrastructure locally. This station underscores the area's strategic role in hydrogen mobility and transport sectors.
Thomas Walkiewicz, Technical Managing Director of Neuss's municipal utilities, emphasizes the importance of connecting companies and consumers to a future-proof infrastructure. The feasibility study in the Rhine region is a crucial step towards sustainable energy supply and the expansion of the hydrogen transport infrastructure. Timely access to the H2 core network is crucial for Speira, as it must also be economically viable for Neuss's industry.
In conclusion, the feasibility study represents a foundational effort to incorporate the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West area into Germany's expanding hydrogen pipeline network, thereby advancing the federal hydrogen core network's objective to support energy transition and industrial hydrogen use nationwide. The combination of pipeline expansion and refueling infrastructure development in the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West area aligns with the federal government's push to establish an extensive, functional hydrogen core network across Germany.
- The hydrogen core network, a significant component of Germany's energy transition, is designed to link industry, ports, storage facilities, and power plants.
- For Mayor Reiner Breuer, hydrogen is strategically important not only for the future viability of Neuss's industry but also for climate protection.
- Integration of the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West area into Germany's broader hydrogen infrastructure will be facilitated by the expansion of the hydrogen pipeline network.
- The feasibility study aims to explore network expansion for hydrogen consumption in the Neuss/Düsseldorf-West area, which will also contribute to the growth of renewable energy in the region.
