European gas and electricity companies GASCADE, Gasuine, RWE and Shell are participating in the AquaDuctus green hydrogen transportation project.

The project will include the installation of a pipeline to transport green hydrogen from the North Sea to Germany and the rest of continental Europe.

The pipeline is part of the AquaVentus initiative designed to install 10GW of electrolysis capacity for green hydrogen production from offshore wind power between Heligoland and the Dogger sand bank.

Once complete in 2035, the AquaDuctus pipeline is expected to transport up to one million tonnes of green hydrogen per annum and help the bloc to scale up its green hydrogen production and decarbonise economies.

The European Union has set a target to provide a total of 40GW of electrolyser capacity to produce green hydrogen by 2030.

Compared to the transport of electricity generated offshore, the pipeline offers clear economic advantages. The pipeline will replace five HVDC transmission systems, which would otherwise have to be built. It is by far the most cost-effective option for transporting large volumes of energy over distances of more than 400km, according to a statement released by RWE.

The project will start with the implementation of a detailed feasibility study.

Apart from the AquaDuctus, there has been an increase in the number of collaborations established to increase hydrogen production in Europe. The projects include partnerships between RWE and GET H2 Nukleus and German LNG Terminal GmbH.

In a statement, RWE said it was “convinced that green hydrogen will be an important factor for the success of the energy transition, alongside the further expansion of renewable energies”.

“Hydrogen opens up the opportunity to decarbonise those areas that cannot be electrified. This applies above all to industry. Hydrogen will replace fossil fuels in many industrial processes or will also be used in transport where batteries are of no help. That is why we are already actively involved in building a hydrogen economy – in Germany, but also beyond.”