Our Role in the Hydrogen Future – the SoutH2 Corridor
As Austria’s transmission system operator, we have been working for years on concepts to adapt the existing infrastructure for hydrogen transport and to complement it with new pipelines. With our H2 Backbone WAG + Penta West project, we are part of the SoutH2 Corridor and make a key contribution to enabling the transport of green hydrogen from North Africa via Italy to Austria and on to Central Europe.
Green Hydrogen for Industry and Security of Supply
The import strategy announced by Minister Hattmannsdorfer confirms our view that Austria will need to cover the majority of its future hydrogen demand through imports. To ensure that our country remains an industrial base while also meeting its climate targets, a powerful transport infrastructure is essential – and that is exactly what we are working on.
- Driving decarbonisation: Green hydrogen is vital for industries that cannot be electrified.
- Securing supply: The Hydrogen South Corridor creates new, reliable supply routes.
- Strengthening the hub role: Austria becomes the link between producing countries in the South and consumption centres in the North.
Positive Developments in the Neighborhood
While Austria continues to refine its national hydrogen strategy, our neighbors in Germany are already making significant progress with key H₂ projects. Our partner in the SoutH2 Corridor, bayernets, has received approval for “HyPipe one,” Bavaria’s first hydrogen pipeline extending to the Austrian border - an important step toward establishing the future connection to the Southern Corridor. Open Grid Europe has inaugurated a Europe-wide unique H₂ training route in Werne, enabling safe and practical handling of hydrogen under real-life conditions. Meanwhile, Thyssengas has begun constructing a cross-border pipeline between the Netherlands and Germany, and Ontras, together with BMW and Mitnetz Gas, is preparing to connect the BMW plant in Leipzig to the hydrogen core network.
These projects demonstrate how decisively our neighbors are advancing the hydrogen market ramp-up and send a strong signal about the importance of swift implementation in Austria as well.
Partnership for Europe’s Energy Transition
We look forward to the upcoming Trilateral Forum on 23 October in Vienna, where together with our partner TSOs TAG (Austria), SNAM (Italy) and bayernets (Germany), as well as the responsible institutions in Austria, Germany and Italy – in particular the Federal Ministry for Economy, Energy and Tourism and the Austrian regulatory authority – we will continue to advance work on the SoutH2 Corridor. Together with our partners, we will take the next steps to bring the realisation of the Hydrogen South Corridor closer.
We expressly welcome the measures announced as part of Minister Hattmannsdorfer’s hydrogen initiative and see them as a strong confirmation of our path. They strengthen our resolve to push ahead with the expansion of hydrogen infrastructure with full commitment. Austria has the opportunity to play a central role in Europe’s energy future – and Gas Connect Austria is ready to help shape this role actively.