Green hydrogen is central to decarbonizing Europe’s energy system. Produced via electrolysis from renewable power sources, green hydrogen has the potential to to defossilize hard-to-abate sectors such as steelmaking, chemicals, and heavy transport. But the production of green hydrogen is only half the story. If we want to see a truly scalable and cost-effective hydrogen economy across Europe, we must address the other half of the equation: the transportation of green hydrogen.
A dedicated hydrogen pipeline network is necessary to connect points of low electricity cost with points of Green H2 demand, truly coupling sectors and facilitate how we generate, store, and – critically - distribute clean energy. Yet despite its importance, Europe’s hydrogen infrastructure remains fragmented, underdeveloped, and political inertia could not yet ignite sufficient momentum for a faster realization.
Hydrogen’s biggest advantage is its flexibility. It can be used in fuel cells, combusted to generate heat, serve as a feedstock in industrial processes or just used as chemical energy storage of surplus renewable electricity. However, the value of hydrogen lies not just in what it is, but in where it is. Many of the most cost-effective hydrogen production sites are located in areas rich in renewable energy, such as Northern Africa, Spain, and offshore wind farms in the North Sea. Meanwhile, industrial demand is typically concentrated hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away — in steelworks, chemical plants, and refineries scattered across Europe’s industrial nations, such as Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium, Italy, the Iberian peninsula and beyond.
This is where a pipeline backbone becomes indispensable. By connecting locations of low-cost green hydrogen production with high-demand industrial clusters, a pan-European hydrogen pipeline would allow for efficient, large-scale, low-cost and ecological transport of hydrogen. It would unlock the economic viability of hydrogen projects that today struggle under the weight of expensive logistics, while creating a truly open hydrogen market across Europe.
One of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to develop a hydrogen-ready infrastructure is by repurposing existing natural gas pipelines. Contrary to some misconceptions, these older pipelines often handle hydrogen more easily than newer ones, which were designed specifically for methane and built with more restrictive specifications. What’s more, pipeline infrastructure operators across Europe, many of whom rely on usage fees to monetize their assets, are already looking to hydrogen as an option for future profitability.
Embrittlement (the weakening of metal structures when exposed to hydrogen) is often cited as a technical hurdle for such repurposing, however the pipeline infrastructure operators across Europe don’t see this to be the hurdle when managing the pressures the right way. Instead, proper retrofitting of elements like compressor and valve stations are needed and, combined with pressure management, the repurposing can be safely managed. In fact, according to the European Hydrogen Backbone study, the average cost of repurposing existing infrastructure and building new lines where necessary is significantly lower than other modes of hydrogen transport – such as compressed trailers or liquefied shipping – coming in at just €0.11 to €0.21 per kilogram per 1,000 kilometers.
Germany alone has more than 500,000 kilometers of natural gas pipeline infrastructure, including 40,000 km of high-capacity transmission pipelines. Repurposing even a fraction of this could spearhead hydrogen scalability across Europe, starting with connecting harbors with industrial clusters.
Without adequate pipelines and storage, Europe’s growing renewable energy fleet is already hitting bottlenecks. Every year, solar and wind farms are forced to curtail generation due to grid saturation, which is a frustrating waste of clean, low-cost energy. Electrolyzers can help solve this, converting surplus electricity into storable hydrogen. But without a connected pipeline infrastructure, even these systems hit a logistical limit.
Pipelines enable not only the distribution of hydrogen, but also seasonal storage via underground caverns. This allows excess renewable energy to be captured when supply is high and used during periods of low generation, effectively functioning as large-scale, long-duration energy storage. In this context, pipelines aren’t just a conduit for hydrogen; they’re an enabler of the entire power-to-X value chain.
Thanks to pipelines, hydrogen production no longer needs to happen next to the end user. This decoupling is a key-log for industrial hydrogen consumers like steelmakers, chemical producers, and refineries. For example, a steel plant in Germany might face high electricity costs locally (10 cents/kWh or more), making on-site green hydrogen unviable. But piped hydrogen produced in North Africa at just 3 cents/kWh could offer a solution that slashes operating expenses while supporting EU decarbonization
In short, location matters, and pipelines unlock the freedom to optimize both sides of the cost equation.
While pipeline deployment comes with a multi-billion-euro price tag, the long-term value far outweighs the upfront cost. The opportunity cost of not acting is even higher: scarcer hydrogen supply, missed decarbonization targets, inefficient energy use, and economic disadvantage for Europe’s industrial base.
The Dutch government has already recognized this, investing €400 million in a state-owned transmission pipeline operator to kick off hydrogen infrastructure in key industrial zones. Front-runners such as RWE, bp, Evonik, Nowega and OGE have joined forces to set-up initial pipeline segments such as the GetH2Nucleus pipeline from Lingen in Lower Saxony to Gelsenkirchen / Ruhr Valley. Similar support is needed across Europe to de-risk early projects and break the chicken-and-egg cycle where infrastructure waits for capacity and vice versa.
Pipeline authorization must be centrally planned, speedily implemented, and adequately funded to align with green hydrogen demand growth particularly in sectors facing regulatory decarbonization pressure such as refineries and steel.
Andreas Rupieper, VP Strategy and Business Development, P2X, ANDRITZ
The vision doesn’t stop at Europe’s borders. With hydrogen demand expected to rise globally, Europe must also look at imports which add-up to the diversification of supply chains. Pipelines linking North African’s RE-cost-advantageous regions via e.g. Tunisia / Sicily / Italy or Morocco / Gibraltar / Spain with Central Europe could dramatically reduce import costs compared to shipping green hydrogen in the form of ammonia or liquefied hydrogen. Pipelines are safer, more environmentally friendly, and significantly more cost-effective.
While ammonia shipping is viable and already being scaled, it requires complex infrastructure and conversion steps, each of which eats into the overall energy value of the hydrogen. In contrast, pipelines can deliver pure hydrogen directly from producer to end user in a scalable, continuous flow, without the volatility and risk associated with marine transit of hazardous materials.
The transition to green hydrogen is one of the most ambitious infrastructure challenges Europe has ever faced, but it’s also one of the most vital. Green hydrogen offers unparalleled flexibility, zero-carbon potential, and close synergy with the continent’s renewable capacity.
At ANDRITZ, we’re supporting clients across the energy landscape, from utilities facing curtailment revenue loss, to project developers investing in renewable hydrogen assets, to industrial users seeking long-term secure access to clean gas. We offer advisory and consultation on planning, value chain and business case optimization, regulatory support, and more – because green energy needs more than ambition. It needs action.
A functioning hydrogen pipeline network will do more than cut costs, it will connect continents, decarbonize industries, and futureproof Europe’s energy economy.
Hydrogen production technology is ready. The infrastructure must be too.
ANDRITZ responds to the urgent need for decarbonization and green transition. We provide integrated P2X solutions for the production of green hydrogen, e-methanol and e-ammonia — ranging from consulting to EPC projects with full performance guarantees. Our long-term service agreements are based on our proprietary digital solution.
