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Project “H2 cross border” – First Pipeline-Based Hydrogen Delivery from Austria to GermanyIn 2024, the project partners successfully completed the first hydrogen delivery from Austria to Germany under the current conditions and regulatory framework. A total of around 100,000 cubic meters of hydrogen has been delivered to the customer so far. The project partners began investigating the legal framework and technical requirements for cross-border hydrogen transport as early as mid-2021. Their goal was to identify existing (including regulatory) challenges, address them with concrete solutions, and thereby make the supply chain from production to end consumer a reality. In the project, green hydrogen produced by RAG Austria at its Pilsbach site near Vöcklabruck in Upper Austria via water electrolysis and certified by TÜV Süd was blended into the existing natural gas network in Austria. It was then transferred to the bayernets transport network in Haiming/Burghausen. With support from Shell Energy, the first quantities of hydrogen were delivered to the customer MEGGLE. This marked the first successful cross-border, pipeline-based hydrogen transport from Austria to Germany.  The project also highlighted the hurdles that must be overcome to scale up hydrogen use. Currently, the cross-border transfer of Guarantees of Origin (GoOs) from Austria to Germany is not yet possible. This is because the implementation and operation of the gas Guarantee of Origin register in Germany is scheduled for 2026. In Austria, a GoO database for gas, which also applies to hydrogen, has already been implemented and is operated by E-Control. Therefore, within the “H2 cross border” project, Guarantees of Origin could only be issued in Austria and transferred from the registered Austrian producer (RAG) to the also-registered German customer MEGGLE. This was only made possible through the close cooperation of the downstream network operator and the project partners. To enable the scale-up of European cross-border hydrogen trade and its physical transmission via existing infrastructure, comprehensive solutions are needed especially for the effective cross-border trade of Guarantees of Origin. The “H2 cross border” project maps the entire value chain: from production and storage to cross-border transport and final delivery to customers.  Brochure (German) Whether to achieve climate goals or to diversify energy imports, hydrogen is a key component for a robust, sustainable, and future-oriented energy supply—and a crucial building block for a future climate-neutral energy mix. Only in this way can the generational project of the energy transition succeed. Learn more at: https://www.rag-austria.at/innovation/innovationsprojekte/h2-cross-border |
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