BAYERNOIL Turns Hydrogen Demand into Concrete Commitments and Strengthens HyPipe two

BAYERNOIL is taking early action to pave the way for Bavaria’s connection to the hydrogen network of the future. Together with bayernets, the company has signed an agreement to reserve future hydrogen transport capacity within the H2 Cluster Ingolstadt/HyPipe two project. By doing so, BAYERNOIL is making tangible industrial demand visible through the planned transport of hydrogen between its two sites in Vohburg and Neustadt, while providing important momentum for the development of regional hydrogen infrastructure in the greater Ingolstadt area. With this capacity reservation, BAYERNOIL is initiating a decisive next step: transforming strategic infrastructure planning into a concrete market project.

To establish a connection to the future hydrogen transport network, bayernets is working closely with regional stakeholders as part of the H2 Cluster Ingolstadt/HyPipe two project. The aim is to supply the participating industrial sites and the wider Ingolstadt region with hydrogen in the future. The contractual agreement therefore represents an important milestone in the development of a high-performing hydrogen economy in Bavaria. Through its demand and its reservation of future transport capacity, BAYERNOIL is helping to lay the foundations for future hydrogen transportation. At the same time, it demonstrates that the hydrogen market ramp-up is increasingly being driven by concrete industrial demand.

“By reserving transport capacity, BAYERNOIL is sending a clear signal: we intend to play an active role in shaping Bavaria’s connection to the hydrogen grid and are creating the conditions today for the industrial use of hydrogen at the refinery sites in the greater Ingolstadt area,” says Dr Philipp Kaiser, Head of Business Development at BAYERNOIL Raffineriegesellschaft mbH. Hydrogen is considered a key energy carrier for the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industrial processes and the development of a climate-neutral energy system. BAYERNOIL’s initiative combines the transformation of its refinery operations with the development of regional infrastructure designed to connect producers, import corridors and industrial consumers in the future.

“BAYERNOIL’s reservation of transport capacity is a strong signal for the hydrogen market ramp-up and a major milestone for our project. For the first time, hydrogen transport demand within the H2 Cluster Ingolstadt has been placed on a contractual basis. This provides greater planning certainty and takes the development of the hydrogen infrastructure a decisive step forward,” adds Dr Matthias Jenn, Managing Director of bayernets GmbH.

The signing of the agreement demonstrates that BAYERNOIL is actively using hydrogen to drive the transformation towards future-ready refinery sites. HyPipe two forms part of Germany’s approved hydrogen core grid and will initially operate as a standalone network connecting regional production and consumption sites. As further core grid measures are gradually implemented, HyPipe two will be connected to Germany’s nationwide hydrogen transport network as well as to international import corridors.

The project is therefore creating the conditions required for refinery sites in the greater Ingolstadt area to become part of the national and European hydrogen system. From BAYERNOIL’s perspective, establishing a connection between the refinery sites and the wider interregional network will be a key priority in the next phase.