Germany: 100 TWh of green hydrogen imported via pipelines by 2035

A study reveals that Germany could import up to 100 TWh of green hydrogen per year via pipelines by 2035, meeting a significant proportion of its projected energy demand.

Share:

Importation d'hydrogène vert Allemagne

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

Germany plans to cover up to 100 terawatt-hours (TWh) of its annual energy needs by importing green hydrogen via pipelines from neighboring countries by the mid-2035s. This ambition is a key step in the country’s energy transition, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in highly polluting industrial sectors, such as steel and chemicals, which cannot be electrified.
The use of green hydrogen, produced from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, is at the heart of this transition. According to a study by Berlin-based think tanks Agora Energiewende and Agora Industry, hydrogen could account for 11.2% of Germany’s total projected energy demand, estimated at 894 TWh in 2035.

Growing need for imported hydrogen

Despite limited renewable energy resources, Germany will have to import between 50% and 70% of its hydrogen. The country currently uses around 55-60 TWh of hydrogen per year, almost exclusively produced from fossil fuels. By 2030, Germany is expected to produce 11 TWh of hydrogen and import around 17 TWh of green and 15 TWh of blue (produced from natural gas), covering less than half of total projected demand, estimated at between 95 TWh and 130 TWh.
To meet its carbon neutrality targets, Germany needs to boost its hydrogen imports by using Europe’s existing natural gas infrastructure. By 2035, the country could increase its pipeline imports to between 60 TWh and 100 TWh.

Promising import corridors

The study identifies five potential corridors for importing hydrogen into Germany, taking into account production potential, political support and technical complexity. Promising corridors include imports from Denmark and Norway via the North Sea, and potentially from Sweden and Finland via the Baltic Sea at a later stage.
In the long term, pipelines from Southern Europe and North Africa, particularly Spain and Tunisia, could play a significant role. Imports from the UK, Portugal, Algeria, Greece and Ukraine are also envisaged.
For Simon Mueller, Director of Agora Energiewende, Germany needs a secure, cost-effective supply of renewable hydrogen to achieve climate neutrality. “Pipeline imports from Europe are crucial to this,” he asserted. However, he stresses the need for a financing model and rapid cost-sharing agreements between the countries involved to guarantee the required quantities of green hydrogen in the first half of the next decade.
Hydrogen producers and pipeline operators will also need guarantees about Germany’s future demand for hydrogen. The study examined five potential corridors for hydrogen pipelines to Germany, taking into account factors such as production potential, political support and technical complexity.

The Japanese industrial group will replace a 73.5 MW coke and gas-fired turbine with a 30 to 40 MW hydrogen-ready unit, scheduled to start operations in 2030 with ¥7.1bn ($47mn) in public support.
A two-year project aims to identify areas in Texas suitable for natural hydrogen exploitation, despite challenges related to infrastructure, public policy and economic viability.
Plug Power has announced the appointment of Jose Luis Crespo as President effective October 10, before assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer once the company publishes its annual report, expected in March 2026.
Plug Power finalised a deal with an institutional investor to raise $370mn through the immediate exercise of warrants, with the possibility of securing an additional $1.4bn if new warrants are exercised.
Air Liquide announces a $50mn investment to strengthen its hydrogen network on the US Gulf Coast, following long-term contracts signed with two major American refiners.
Global demand for industrial gases will grow on the back of hydrogen expansion, carbon capture technologies, and advanced use in healthcare, electronics, and low-carbon fuel manufacturing.
Green ammonia reaches a new industrial milestone with 428 active projects and over $11bn in investments, highlighting accelerated sector growth across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas.
Nel Hydrogen US will supply a containerised electrolyser to H2 Energy for a hydrogen production facility commissioned by the Association for Waste Disposal in Buchs, Switzerland.
UK-based manufacturer ITM Power has signed an engineering contract for a green hydrogen project shortlisted under the country's second Hydrogen Allocation Round.
Agfa strengthens its industrial position with the launch of a ZIRFON membrane production site for electrolyzers, backed by a €11mn European subsidy.
Driven by Air Liquide and SEGULA Technologies, the ROAD TRHYP project aims to lower hydrogen transport costs and improve safety through a series of technical innovations by 2030.
Qair obtains structured bank financing of €55mn for its Hyd’Occ ecosystem, integrating renewable hydrogen production and distribution in Occitanie, with commissioning scheduled before the end of 2025.
Swedish firm Metacon has secured a EUR7.1mn ($7.7mn) contract to deliver a 7.5 MW electrolysis plant to Elektra Power SRL, marking its operational entry into the Romanian market.
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership has closed its first call for Project Development Assistance (PDA), totaling 36 applications from 18 countries. Results are expected in October, with support starting in November.
Kandla port plans a 150,000-ton-per-year integrated renewable methanol unit, targeting the growing fleet of compliant vessels on the Singapore-Rotterdam maritime route.
OMV is investing several hundred million euros in a 140 MW electrolysis unit in Austria, set to produce 23,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually to supply its Schwechat refinery.
Jolt Green Chemical Industries appoints Dyar Al-Safwah to engineer a high-performance electrode facility at King Salman Energy Park, backed by the Ministry of Energy.
With the certification of three new sites, Lhyfe takes the lead in the European RFNBO hydrogen market, reaching 21 MW of installed capacity across France and Germany.
VINSSEN becomes a central player in designing the world’s first commercial transport vessel fully powered by a fuel cell using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier.
The global hydrogen production market is expected to more than double by 2035, supported by technological advances and growing demand from transport, heavy industry and decarbonised energy systems.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.