SoutH2 Corridor once again included in PCI list

The European Commission has published the new list of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) and Projects of Mutual Interest (PMIs) for the Union. This once again con-firms the strategic importance of the SoutH2 Corridor as a key European hydrogen infrastructure project, particularly through the inclusion of all individual projects from the respective promoters

PCIs play an essential role in closing infrastructure gaps in the European energy network, offering clear economic, environmental, and social benefits to the EU. The approximately 3,300-kilometre-long SoutH2 Corridor is set to become one of Europe's most important import routes for renewable hydrogen from North Africa and the southern Mediterranean region.

PCI projects benefit from accelerated approval and implementation procedures, as well as access to funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) under certain conditions. This enables faster, more coordinated, cross-border implementation.

The ‘H2 Backbone WAG + Penta-West’ and ‘H2 Readiness of the TAG Pipeline System’ projects comprise the Austrian section of the SoutH2 Corridor initiative and are supported by transmission system operators Bayernets, Gas Connect Austria GmbH, TAG GmbH and Snam Rete Gas.

The SoutH2 Corridor consists of four coordinated PCI projects:

  • ‘HyPipe Bavaria – The Hydrogen Hub’ (bayernets GmbH)
  • ‘H2 Backbone WAG + Penta-West’ (Gas Connect Austria GmbH)
  • ‘H2 Readiness of the TAG Pipeline System’ (TAG GmbH)
  • ‘Italian H2 Backbone’ (Snam Rete Gas)

In addition, the North African H2 backbone, comprising the offshore section from Cap Bon in Tunisia to Mazara del Vallo in Italy and developed by SeaCorridor, has been added to the list as a PMI. This creates an essential link between hydrogen production centres in North Africa and the SoutH2 Corridor network.

The 'H2 Backbone WAG + Penta-West' project involves expanding the existing West Austria Gas Pipeline (WAG) and Penta-West (PW) with parallel hydrogen pipelines. This will enable the bidirectional transport of around 150 GWh per day between Austria, Slovakia, and Germany in the future. Connecting the WAG to the Trans-Austria Gas Pipeline (TAG) at the Baumgarten node provides a direct link to the SoutH2 Corridor. The connection to Slovakia will also enable transport from potential sources in the east. Due to its central location, the project will be essential for future hydrogen transport in Central and Eastern Europe.

The ‘H2 Readiness of the TAG Pipeline System’ project involves converting a 380 km natural gas pipeline from the Italian-Austrian border to the Austrian-Slovakian border for use with hydrogen. This essentially only requires the construction of a new compressor station. Making extensive use of existing infrastructure has enabled the development of a sustainable, cost-effective project with a transport capacity of 168 GWh per day. The project also represents a connection to the eastern corridor.

The renewed PCI listing confirms the European Commission's recognition of the importance of the two projects, 'H2 Backbone WAG + Penta-West' and 'H2 Readiness of the TAG Pipeline System', as key projects within the SoutH2 Corridor. These projects are important building blocks for ensuring the security of green energy supply and, at the same time, are central to achieving national and European climate targets and the European hydrogen strategy.

Further information can be found at:

https://www.south2corridor.net/
https://h2backbone-wag-pw.at/en/home-english/
https://www.taggmbh.at/en/h2-readiness-en/