First Section of the Hydrogen Core Grid in Eastern Germany Goes into Operation

At the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park (EBL), a 25-kilometre-long transport pipeline has now gone into operation, connecting the electrolyzer currently under construction with the TotalEnergies refinery in Leuna. With the initial filling of the pipeline, several milestones have been reached at once: Firstly, work on another value-adding stage of the energy park has been completed, and the pipeline is now ready to transport hydrogen. At the same time, ONTRAS has completed the first section of the hydrogen core grid in Eastern Germany with this pipeline segment, which also marks the initial component of the ONTRAS H2-Start Grid. As a central artery, the FGL 701 pipeline enables the connection of further hydrogen core grid projects, such as Green Octopus Mitteldeutschland (GO!) heading towards Magdeburg-Salzgitter or the Central German Chemical Triangle and the Leipzig-Halle region (LHyVE). This also makes the energy park part of the European Hydrogen Backbone.

At the inauguration ceremony, Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister for Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, emphasized:

"With the commissioning of this hydrogen pipeline, we are sending an important signal: the development of the hydrogen economy and core grid is not just a theoretical vision for the future – it is already becoming a reality. Especially in economically turbulent times, we must not shy away from investment but must set the course for the future. I am convinced that the hydrogen core ngrid will gradually evolve into a vital lifeline for energy-intensive industries. Particularly here in Saxony-Anhalt, the production, storage, and use of green hydrogen will create new jobs and added value."

"This transport pipeline is a key component of the energy park and the first H2 pipeline of the core grid in Eastern Germany. It enables us to transport approximately 2,700 tonnes of green hydrogen per year to the customer in Leuna," said Gunar Schmidt, ONTRAS Managing Director for Operations and Safety. "We are demonstrating that a gas pipeline from the 1980s can indeed play a crucial role in the energy system of the future." After a thorough technical inspection, various upgrades for green hydrogen transport, and disconnection from the natural gas grid, the pipeline is now filled with hydrogen and officially approved for H2 transport. "In the coming months, until the electrolyzer is commissioned, we will use the test operation to gain important insights into transporting hydrogen along this route—so we’ll be well-prepared for full operation," Schmidt explained.

"With the wind farm already in operation and the hydrogen pipeline completed, two key components of the energy park's value chain are in place. This proves in practice that existing gas infrastructure can and will play a vital role in the energy world of tomorrow. As soon as the electrolyzer is operational and the offtake station in Leuna is ready, the entire green hydrogen value chain will be up and running. The first deliveries of hydrogen are expected later this year—a unique success story, made in Eastern Germany," said Cornelia Müller-Pagel, spokesperson for the EBL consortium and Head of Green Gases at VNG AG.

"What begins here today with a 25-kilometre pipeline is also the starting point for the ONTRAS H2-Start Grid. ONTRAS’s planned hydrogen transport network, with around 600 kilometres of pipeline, will be a key part of the emerging nationwide H2 core grid. The connections to other hydrogen projects in Germany and Europe created through this will be of particular value," added Hans-Joachim Polk, Chairman of the ONTRAS Supervisory Board and Executive Board Member for Infrastructure & Technology at VNG AG.

By the end of 2025, once construction of the electrolyzer and completion of the offtake station in Leuna are finalized, green hydrogen produced with electricity from the wind farm at the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park will begin flowing through the pipeline to the TotalEnergies refinery in Leuna – bringing the entire value chain to life.