Reservation of hydrogen transport capacities starts – Hydrogen core network operators have launched coordinated capacity reservation process on 19 March 2026
To further support the ramp-up of the hydrogen market and offer market participants investment and planning security, the operators of the hydrogen core network have launched a coordinated process for reserving initial hydrogen core network capacities today at 1 p.m.. The process is based on a market information package published on 5 March. It provides the related information on the development of the hydrogen core network in the form of clusters and the capacities available therein and is available on the websites of the hydrogen core network operators. Starting immediately, the process allows companies to secure the entry and exit capacities required for their supply relationships at an early stage – an important contribution to securing hydrogen projects in Germany.
‘This marks the start. The development of the hydrogen core network is progressing. With the launch of the coordinated marketing process for the hydrogen core network, we are reaching an important next stage in the development of a hydrogen market in Germany and Europe,’ emphasises Barbara Fischer, Managing Director of FNB Gas.
Capacities can now be reserved on the basis of a model contract agreed within the industry using a standardised application form. The form is available on the website of the hydrogen core network operator responsible for the respective entry or exit points. In the first step, reservations will be based on the network and capacity structures for the years 2026 to 2030 listed in the market information package. The capacity and cluster developments for the following years will be published subsequently by the hydrogen core network operators, taking into account the gas and hydrogen network development plan. With the start of the capacity reservation process, the hydrogen core network operators are providing an important impetus for cross-border hydrogen transport and the market ramp-up in Germany. It creates a reliable framework for the development of supply chains and long-term investment planning in the European hydrogen market.
Application Form for hydrogen capacity reservation
The standardised form is available under the following link:
Please note: The capacities published in Market Information Package 2 represent the initial capacity framework based on the infrastructure to be commissioned between 2026 and 2029. This provides the foundation for a hydrogen ramp-up in all areas already connected to the core hydrogen network. The capacity framework was determined using conservative assumptions due to the distribution and location of capacity requirements being unknown in advance. As the market develops and the specific location of demand becomes clear, the capacity framework within a cluster may increase. It is expressly provided that requests may be submitted that exceed the reported capacity supply in supply zones and for cross-cluster transports. These requests are reviewed by the network operators and may lead to a needs-based reassessment of the capacity supply as part of a case-by-case review. For cross-cluster transport, this could reduce the clearing price or even eliminate it entirely if all requests for the same hour can be fulfilled.
Contact
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us:
Contact for market enquiries
Fabio Woy
Matthias Altenhoff
h2-transport@gasunie.de
Press Contact Gasunie Deutschland
Dr. Philipp v. Bergmann-Korn
presse@gasunie.de
Tel. 0172 5410265
Hyperlink – a key pillar for decarbonising industry
With the Hyperlink project, Gasunie Deutschland will account for 10 per cent of the hydrogen core network, thus making a significant contribution to the foundation for developing a hydrogen infrastructure in Germany. By connecting important production, import, and storage locations with major industrial regions, we facilitate the decarbonisation of industries. With its direct connection to the national hydrogen networks in the Netherlands and Denmark, Hyperlink is also an important part of a European hydrogen infrastructure. Around 70 per cent of Hyperlink is based on the conversion of existing natural gas pipelines – a sustainable solution that saves valuable resources and enables faster implementation. By the end of 2025, 190 km of the Gasunie network will already have been converted for future hydrogen transport in this way.
Hyperlink 1 and 2 are part of the IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) Hy2Infra wave, which was approved by the EU Commission in February 2024. The German government subsequently gave the green light, by means of the associated grant decision, in July 2024. The funding under the grant is provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Climate Action, the Lower Saxony Ministry for Economic Affairs, Transport, Construction and Digitalisation and the Senator for Economics, Ports and Transformation of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.
Gasunie Deutschland – full of new energy
Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH, headquartered in Hanover, is responsible for managing, operating and expanding a long-distance pipeline network of approximately 4,600 kilometres. Due to its geographical location, the Gasunie network, which totals over 17,000 kilometres in the Netherlands and Germany, serves as a gas hub for north-western Europe. Gasunie Deutschland is a subsidiary of N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie. As an important part of the north German natural gas network, Gasunie’s transport facilities make a significant contribution to secure gas supply in Germany and Europe. Gasunie is driving forward the hydrogen market by connecting supply and demand for hydrogen and providing the necessary infrastructure. In this way, Gasunie is strengthening the energy transition.