Gas Connect Austria confirms its approval of the German transmission system operators' draft application for the 2032 hydrogen core network. The draft, published on 15 November 2023, details the future network requirements and plans, particularly with regard to the cross-border transport option for hydrogen between Austria and Germany.
GCA supports the feed-in capacity of 6.25 GWh/h at the German-Austrian border transfer point Überackern stated in the core network. This reflects the hydrogen infrastructure projects ‘HyPipe Bavaria’ on the German side and ‘H2 Backbone WAG + Penta-West’ on the Austrian side. Both projects were included in the Union list of ‘Projects of Common Interest’ (PCI) published by the European Commission on 28 November 2023. This clearly reinforces the projects at European and national level.
The Austrian gas infrastructure, as part of the ‘SoutH2 Corridor’ and ‘H2EU+Store’ initiatives, is available for the connection of hydrogen sources from North Africa and South-East Europe. Access to several future hydrogen sources will enable a diversified hydrogen supply right from the start, thus making an important contribution to future security of supply.
H2 feed-in capacity to supply landlocked countries
In the draft application for the hydrogen core network, the total feed-in capacity at border transfer points to Germany is listed as 58 GWh/h, while the feed-out capacity to neighbouring countries is only around 10.6 GWh/h. As in Germany, a significant proportion of the hydrogen required in Austria will have to be covered by imports. However, the German hydrogen core network in conjunction with the Austrian hydrogen infrastructure can play an important role in connecting hydrogen sources from northern and north-west Europe with consumers in central Europe. Leaving out the feed-in capacity of the hydrogen core network at the border transfer points does not do justice to Germany's future transit function, especially with regard to the hydrogen supply of landlocked countries such as Austria. The necessary technical means of transporting hydrogen from Germany to Austria at the Überackern border transfer point is already included in the scope of the ‘H2 Backbone WAG + Penta-West’ project.
GCA therefore suggests adapting the hydrogen core network to the hydrogen import requirements of the neighbouring countries in the form of additional feed-in capacity at the border transfer points and presenting it more clearly.