Together with other gas network operators, Ontras is investigating the feasibility of the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor, which is intended to bring green hydrogen from Norway. Here are the initial results.
By 2040, the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor - NBHC for short - will transport up to 2.7 million tons of green hydrogen through six countries to Central Europe every year. The planned pipeline will have a diameter of 1,200 mm and extend over a length of around 2,500 kilometers with several compressor stations.
Ontras Gastransport has examined the basic requirements for the realization of the pipeline with other European transmission system operators - Gasgrid Finland (Finland), Elering (Estonia), Conexus Baltic Grid (Latvia), Amber Grid (Lithuania) and GAZ-System (Poland). This first feasibility study for NBHC started in January this year and has now been completed. Initial results are now available, as announced by Ontras. The authors of the study have identified considerable potential for the production of renewable hydrogen in the Baltic Sea region. They estimate it at a total of 27.1 million tons on- and offshore annually. The NBHC is to be integrated into the infrastructure. The study concluded that it could be one of the first operational hydrogen corridors in Europe.
“The NBHC will open up many opportunities for the European economy, both for the H2-producing regions and for the consumption centers in the participating countries,” explained Ralph Bahke, Managing Director of Ontras, at the presentation of the study. The new corridor will strengthen flexibility and security of supply and bring hydrogen efficiently from the producers to the sales markets. “The connections to the German hydrogen core network, which the participating network operators will build in the coming years, will open up further hydrogen markets and storage facilities within the EU,” continued Bahke. In April 2024, the NBHC was awarded Project of Common Interest (PCI) status by the European Commission as part of the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan for Hydrogen (BEMIP Hydrogen). This status enables access to EU funding and accelerated approval procedures.
Based on the results, the grid operators involved are now planning to prepare a more detailed feasibility study, which will include an in-depth technical analysis of the project, a commercial and economic assessment and a detailed timetable.
