The future of energy

We are securing the supply of energy. Today and tomorrow.

Germany is on its way to climate neutrality by the year 2045,
Baden-Württemberg is aiming to reach this goal as early as 2040. terranets bw is part of this transformation, providing important support in the process – thanks to our high-performance transmission infrastructure.

Today, the natural gas transported by us is already building an important bridge into the future of energy supply. We are thus already guaranteeing security of supply during the energy transition today.

This can also be seen in increasing demand: our customers – regional suppliers, power stations and industry – report a significant increase in demand for shipping natural gas.

From the year 2030, our gas infrastructure will additionally play an essential role in transporting hydrogen and climate neutral, green gases.

Our gas infrastructure: essential for the energy transition

To successfully master the energy transition while also guaranteeing a secure supply of energy for citizens and industry in the future, a high-performance gas infrastructure is required while further developing renewable energies. By reliably transporting natural gas, we are securing the heat and power supply during the phase-out of coal and nuclear energy. In the future, terranets bw´s gas infrastructure will be ready for shipping climate neutral, green gases and hydrogen. All network development measures carried out by terranets bw are already being implemented in an "H₂ ready" way and therefore, as far as possible, meet the requirements for transporting hydrogen.

To our network development projects

The hydrogen network of the future

To gradually ensure a nationwide supply of hydrogen and connect to the European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB), the Germany gas transmission system operators have developed a potential hydrogen network. The core consists of gas pipelines currently being used for transporting natural gas, which will then be converted for shipping hydrogen. An efficient and sustainable solution, limiting the need for costly construction of a hydrogen infrastructure. With the Flow and RHYn Interco projects, terranets bw is supporting the diversification of the hydrogen supply in Baden-Württemberg.

Discover interactively: the hydrogen network of the future at www.h2-for-bw.de

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Robert Habeck: "The foundation stone for the hydrogen future has been laid. The rollout of the hydrogen grid in Germany is definitely gaining speed."

Start signal for the nationwide hydrogen core network

The association of the cross-regional gas transmission system operators, FNB Gas e.V., including terranets bw, has been working intensively on the modelling of the core network. By the year 2032, a nationwide hydrogen network expanding over approximately 9,700 kilometers is to be created.
The TSOs submitted a draft to the Federal Network Agency and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection in November 2023. The Federal Network Agency is now discussing this draft until the beginning of January 2024.

Discover more here: Press release in German published by the BMWK dated 15.11.2023

Transport routes for Baden-Württemberg

By 2032, terranets bw aims to make hydrogen available via the following transport routes:

From 2029, the RHYn Interco project is to create the first H2 grid in Baden-Württemberg with a cross-border connection point to France. RHYn Interco will also connect to industrial customers in the vicinity of Freiburg i. B. from 2029.
As part of the Flow - making hydrogen happen project, which covers 1,100 km, it is planned that
- the Rhine-Neckar region and the Greater Stuttgart area are to be connected from 2030 by repurposing the South German Natural Gas pipeline (SEL) for hydrogen
- extending the SEL to Bavaria by 2032 will further advance the transport of hydrogen to southern Germany
- by repurposing an existing gas pipeline, hydrogen will be transported to Lake Constance and Upper Swabia

Discover more here: Press release ipublishes in German by terranets bw dated 17.11.2023

State-wide survey in 2023 reveals high hydrogen demand

A broad alliance under the patronage of the State of Baden-Württemberg rolled out a campaign to identify demand for H₂ . In addition to terranets bw, those involved were among others the H₂BW platform, the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden Württemberg (ZSW), the Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce (BWIHK) as well as further associations. Almost five hundred companies and regional grid operators participated.

Discover more

We are bringing hydrogen to
Baden-Württemberg

Our contribution to climate neutrality by 2040: converting the existing infrastructure to ship hydrogen

By the year 2040, Baden-Württemberg aims to be climate-neutral and this means it needs hydrogen. Specific planning for the gradual conversion of the first pipeline sections to ship hydrogen is already underway: the Upper Rhine region is to gain access to the first H₂ network in Baden-Württemberg via RHYn Interco from 2028, which will transport 100 % hydrogen. From 2030, the South German natural gas pipeline (SEL) is to be converted for shipping hydrogen, thus enabling large quantities of hydrogen to be transported into the Rhine-Neckar region and greater Stuttgart area. In 2035, the Lake Constance / Upper Swabia region is be been connected.

Discover more: Interview with Managing Director Katrin Flinspach about the accelerated conversion of the gas transmission system as a significant contribution to achieving the state of Baden-Württemberg´s climate targets: To the interview

On the website of its "Hydrogen for Baden-Württemberg" initiative, terranets bw transparently presents its hydrogen activities. How conversion of the existing gas infrastructure could succeed by 2040 is depicted by means of corresponding conversion paths for network transformation based on five consumption regions in Baden-Württemberg. By showing our projects in such a transparent way, we enable potential customers, upstream grid operators and potential producers to plan ahead.

Details on the consumption regions (so-called clusters) shown on the maps are available at www.h2-for-bw.de

Hydrogen infrastructure by building a hydrogen network

terranets bw prepares the wy for hydrogen

At terranets bw, we are consistently working on developing a hydrogen infrastructure. Besides our infrastructure, we are also contributing our knowledge in constructing, operating and controlling gas transmission networks.

Discover more about our hydrogen activities in the interview with Christoph Luschnat, Hydrogen Coordinator at terranets bw, and Timo Ruoff, Expert for Technical Transformation at terranets bw.

"Hydrogen for Baden-Württemberg" initiative

The rapid repurposing of our pipelines for hydrogen is a task that can only be achieved together with other stakeholders and is why terranets bw launched the "Hydrogen for Baden-Württemberg" initiative in 2021.

On the www.h2-fuer-bw.de platform, terranets bw shares clear information about its planning, specific repurposing projects and identifies hydrogen requirements. The initiative connects stakeholders from politics, industry and society.

Discover more

[Translate to English:] Energiezukunft: Initiative "Wasserstoff für Baden-Württemberg"

Our projects with strong partners

Flow - making hydrogen happen

With the Flow – making hydrogen happen project, the transmission system operators GASCADE, ONTRAS and terranets bw are planning a high-performance pipeline system for green hydrogen. We are connecting international hydrogen markets and thus opening up supply options for large volumes of hydrogen to be supplied to industry in Europe. First pipeline sections could be converted as early as 2025, thus enabling CO₂ emissions to be reduced faster than was hitherto possible. With Flow – making hydrogen happen, we are providing an important building block for the European ramp-up of hydrogen and the energy transition.

Existing infrastructure will be used to quickly connect important regions in Europe for the hydrogen ramp-up. Flow – making hydrogen happen thus connects the Danish "Energy Island" Bornholm with the Czech Republic. Additional connections towards the southwest will also enable a connection between France and Austria. German regions such as the Halle/Leipzig chemical triangle and the Rhine-Main-Neckar region will also benefit from this.

Connections to international import routes, hydrogen storage facilities, further major projects in the area of hydrogen transport as well as to the EHB will create additional security of supply. In this way, Flow – making hydrogen happen is significantly shaping the European hydrogen ramp-up.

Discover more

Cross-border shipping of hydrogen: RHYn Interco connects France and Baden-Württemberg from 2028

Together with the French gas infrastructure operator GRTgaz and the distribution system operator badenovaNETZE, terranets bw is working on a cross-border transmission system for hydrogen. By converting existing gas pipelines, we will connect Baden-Württemberg to the Grand Est region in France from 2028.

The cross-border connection via the Rhine that will be built for this purpose gives the project its name: RHYn Interconnection – abbreviated to: RHYn Interco.

Gradual conversion with potential

Step 1 from 2028
By constructing the connection to France and converting existing gas pipelines, industrial customers of badenovaNETZE will be connected near Freiburg i.B.

Step 2 from 2035
By converting an additional section, the H₂ network can be extended from Freiburg i.B. to Offenburg and further industrial and mobility customers can be connected.

The Upper Rhine region thus gains access to the first H₂ network in Baden-Württemberg, which will be transporting hydrogen to 100 %. In this way, green, low-carbon hydrogen produced in France can be delivered to industrial and mobility customers in the whole Upper Rhine region, reducing CO₂ emissions sustainably.

By connecting to the European hydrogen backbone, RHYn Interco will provide an essential building block for creating the first local H₂ market in Baden-Württemberg.

The repurposing in detail: More information available in German in the joint press release published by badenova und terranets bw.

From 18 September 2023 to 17 November 2023, the project partners are running a survey on hydrogen requirements and production potential in the southern Upper Rhine region (Germany) and the Grand Est region (France).

The project partners' interest queries are targeted at companies in the southern Upper Rhine region (Germany) and Grand Est (France) that are planning to produce or purchase hydrogen in large quantities. On the German side, the administrative districts and cities of Freiburg, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Emmendingen and Ortenau are specifically addressed.

More information available in the joint press release published by GRT gaz, terranets bw and badenova.

First 100% hydrogen grid in Baden-Württemberg with RHYn Interco

The master plan in numbers

2028

First 100% hydrogen grid in Baden-Württemberg with RHYn Interco

2030

Connection to Rhine-Neckar region and Greater Stuttgart area

3.000 km

Our target: Hydrogen network in the year 2040

95 %

Share of existing as pipelines in the future hydrogen network

Here are a few of our commitments and
initiatives for the future of energy

Partner for the dena pilot study
"Towards Climate Neutrality"

Together with more than ten scientific institutes, over 70 companies and a 45-member advisory board with experts from science, politics and society, the Germany Energy Agency (dena) has defined fields of actions and solution pathways to achieve climate neutrality in Germany by 2045. A total of 84 tasks in central fields of action were developed. The sectors included in the study were energy, buildings, industry and traffic.

terranets bw contributed to this study as a partner, predominantly in the energy module.

More at www.dena.de

FNB Gas Association

In a cross-network cooperation with supra-regional gas transmission companies in Germany, we are working on the development of a hydrogen infrastructure, among other things. The FNB Gas association promotes the exchange of information between experts and further development, while at the same time it serves as a point of contact for politicians and the public.

More at www.fnb-gas.de