GTG Nord hydrogen grid

The development of the German wide hydrogen network is being organised in a joint planning process by the transmission system operators in Germany on a private-sector basis. You can register your individual requirements using our dedicated form. This enables us to include your enquiry in our supply planning.

You can use our form to describe your project and grid connection request to us. Please complete our form using the button below (in German).

Formular Netzanschluss

To further support the ramp-up of the hydrogen market and offer market participants investment and planning security, the operators of the hydrogen core network will launch a coordinated process for reserving initial hydrogen core network capacities on 19 March 2026. The process will be based on the Second market information package. It provides the related information on the development of the hydrogen core network in the form of clusters and the capacities available therein. The process will allow companies to secure the entry and exit capacities required for their supply relationships at an early stage.

From the start date, capacities can be reserved on the basis of a model contract agreed within the industry using a standardised application form. In the first step, reservations will be based on the network and capacity structures for the years 2026 to 2030 listed in the market information package. Reservation requests can be submitted using a standardised enquiry form which will be published on 19 March 2026.

Upon receipt of the capacity request via the enquiry form, GTG will carry out a review. If the outcome is positive, the reservation becomes binding through the signing of the capacity reservation agreement between GTG and the applicant.

GTG charges a reservation fee of EUR 0.25 per kWh/h/a for the reservation of hydrogen capacities.

Further information on the reservation concept can be found in the Second Market Information Package (published on 5 March 2026).

The Federal Network Agency has set a ramp-up tariff of 25 €/kWh/h/a for transport in the hydrogen core network (Federal Network Agency press release from 14 July 2025). As with natural gas, the transport grid charges represent only a small fraction of the energy carrier’s total costs.

Green hydrogen is a key element of the energy transition. As an energy carrier and feedstock, it enables the decarbonisation of all sectors – particularly those that are difficult to electrify.

Industry
On the path to climate neutrality, industry relies primarily on electrification. However, full decarbonisation is hardly achievable without molecular energy carriers, as many industrial processes require heat at high temperature levels. Sectors such as the chemical industry, automotive manufacturing, as well as metal and mechanical engineering, need temperatures above 500 degrees Celsius. In metal production and processing (e.g. steel), as well as in the glass and ceramics industries, more than half of the energy demand occurs in areas exceeding 1000 degrees. For these high-temperature processes, hydrogen is the ideal energy carrier.

Power generation and security of supply
Energy generation from wind and solar is subject to weather-dependent fluctuations (volatility). During periods of high production, excess electricity can be converted into green hydrogen via electrolysis and stored in underground caverns. When insufficient renewable power is available, this hydrogen can be reconverted into electricity in power plants. In this way, hydrogen serves as an indispensable storage component for a secure energy supply.

Mobility and heating
In the transport sector, hydrogen is used primarily where batteries reach their limits – for example, in heavy road freight transport or trains operating on non-electrified lines. Hydrogen is also playing an increasingly important role in municipal heat planning, helping to operate district heating networks in a climate-neutral way.

To create transparent and verifiable standards, an EU-wide certification system applies. This ensures that both hydrogen produced in Germany and imported hydrogen meet the same stringent requirements. It essentially distinguishes between two categories:

Renewable hydrogen (RFNBO)
The so-called RFNBO criteria (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) apply here. For hydrogen to be certified as “renewable”, it must be verifiably produced using electricity from renewable energy sources.

Low-carbon hydrogen
Hydrogen that does not meet all criteria for renewable hydrogen but still has a significantly better climate balance than conventional hydrogen can be certified as “low-carbon”. This may apply to:

• Hydrogen produced via electrolysis from electricity, but which does not meet the strict RFNBO requirements.

• Blue hydrogen produced from natural gas via steam reforming, where the resulting CO₂ is captured and stored (CCS technology).

Irrespective of whether the hydrogen is produced in Germany or imported: Certification provides the buyer with clarity on the origin and ecological footprint of the energy carrier.

The existing natural gas pipelines can be substantially converted to the transport of hydrogen. The condition of the pipelines intended for this purpose will be checked in advance. The transport of hydrogen will then be just as safe as the transport of natural gas today.

The conversion of existing pipelines offers important advantages: In comparatively little time and with little local impact due to construction work, a Germany wide network will be created to link the hydrogen consumers with the production and import points. Transporting hydrogen via pipelines is the most efficient and cheapest option.

In addition, an option for the further utilisation of the existing natural gas infrastructure will be created.

Yes. Hydrogen has been produced, transported and used in private networks in Germany for a long time. The pipelines used to transport hydrogen are monitored around the clock by a control centre. As hydrogen mixes very quickly with the surrounding air outside the pipes, there is basically no danger even in the very unlikely event of a leak. If a leakage leads to a drop in pressure in the network, this is registered immediately and the gas flow in the corresponding pipe section is stopped.

This synchronised mode of operation means that the hydrogen network is just as safe as the natural gas network.

So called grey hydrogen is produced from natural gas. This releases ten tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of hydrogen. If it is replaced by green hydrogen, this CO₂ emission can be avoided. The planned electrolysis plant in the Emden area, for example, produces up to 24.000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year with its electrical output of 320 MW and 3.750 full-load hours. This corresponds to 240.000 tonnes of CO₂ saved.

Yes. The conversion of the network to hydrogen will not take place overnight, but will be carried out gradually and planned in detail. Only pipelines that are no longer needed for natural gas operations will be converted for hydrogen use. The infrastructure for natural gas in Germany has also been designed in a way that there are always several lines ready for operation along a route. This means that hydrogen and natural gas can be transported along the same route at the same time.