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13 April 2022 | News

European Hydrogen Backbone develops 28,000 km in 2030

European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) network has now been extended by more than 110% since initial launch one and a half years ago. Members present now vision for approximately 53,000 km hydrogen pipeline infrastructure in 28 European countries by 2040. The Backbone is expected to be made up of ~60%-40% repurposed natural gas versus new pipelines in 2040. Digital, interactive vision maps will be published as part of new EHB website later in April.

European Hydrogen Backbone develops 28,000 km in 2030

Accelerated EHB network vision by 2030 has been developed in response to European Commission’s REPowerEU communication. It calls to greater action on climate protection and European energy system resilience. The EHB initiative presents a solution to accelerate hydrogen adoption for greater energy security and meet renewable targets.

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the onus is on the EU countries to achieve greater energy independence. This has led to a greater push to accelerate and scale up the adoption of decarbonised energy sources as highlighted in the REPowerEU statement, a plan to phase out Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels from Russia well before 2030 and to increase the resilience of the EU-wide energy system. Amongst other measures, REPowerEU introduces an update of its vision for a dedicated hydrogen transport ambition to reach an additional 15 million tonnes (Mt) of renewable hydrogen on top of the 5.6 Mt foreseen under Fit for 55, going beyond the targets of the EU’s hydrogen strategy.

Achieving targets will require a rapid acceleration of the development of an integrated gas and hydrogen infrastructure across Europe. In light of these events, the EHB has accelerated its programme from 2035 to 2030 with the aim to meet the REPowerEU targets. The group proposes a hydrogen network of ~53,000 km by 2040, with further growth expected after 2040.

The network, reflecting the vision of European energy, hydrogen storage facilities, and port infrastructure operators, covers 28 European countries and creates a diverse set of hydrogen import opportunities. The updated vision follows the EHB reports published in July 2020 and April 2021, which sparked an uptick in interest across Europe. Since the initial launch one and a half years ago, the EHB’s 2040 vision network has expanded to 18 new countries and has grown by 110%.

For more information: European Hydrogen Backbone grows to meet REPowerEU’s 2030 hydrogen targets and develops 28,000 km in 2030 and 53,000 km in 2040, now covering 28 European countries