Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor

The Member States are currently in the midst of dynamic changes related to the energy transition and decarbonisation of the European economy. Hydrogen is expected to be one of key elements supporting the EU's energy transition process. 

On 14 December 2022, the European gas transmission system operators from six countries – Gasgrid Finland (Finland), Elering (Estonia), Conexus Baltic Grid (Latvia), Amber Grid (Lithuania), GAZ-SYSTEM (Poland) and ONTRAS (Germany) – signed a cooperation agreement to develop cross-border hydrogen infrastructure from Finland through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to Germany to facilitate the achievement of the REPowerUE 2030 targets.

The TSOs initiated a project named the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor to bolster the region’s energy security, reduce the dependency on energy generated from imported fossil fuels that would play a prominent role in decarbonising societies and energy-intensive industries along its route. Furthermore, it has significant potential to contribute to the EU’s greenhouse gas emission reduction target by replacing the present fossil-based production and fossil fuel consumption in industry, transport as well as power and heating generation.

The Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor supports diversification of energy sources and accelerated development of renewable energy technologies enabling the achievement of the EU target of 10 million tonnes of domestic renewable hydrogen production by 2030. The Corridor will facilitate transport of green hydrogen produced in the Baltic Sea region to supply industrial clusters along the its entire route, primarily the in Central Europe.

The project endorses EU hydrogen strategy and REPowerEU Plan. The Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor will also support several regional and EU climate targets, such as the EU Green Deal and Fit for 55 package.

PCI status  
The project has been recognised as contributing to the development of an integrated European hydrogen infrastructure under the TEN-E Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2022/869). 

On 28 November 2023, the European Commission published the first  list of projects that have been granted the status of a Project of Common Interest (PCI) in the energy sector  for the transmission and storage of hydrogen, as well as the regasification of hydrogen or hydrogen derivatives. 

The Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor project was included in the PCI list as part of the 'Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan for Hydrogen' (BEMIP Hydrogen) and was granted the priority status of the Project of Common Interest in the European Union.

Project status 
Given the complexity of the initiative, all project partners take proactive steps towards its effective implementation. 

In December 2022, the partners signed a cooperation agreement for the joint implementation of the project. In 2024, following a tender procedure held in 2023, GAZ-SYSTEM and the partners signed an agreement with AFRY Management Consulting for the preparation of the pre-feasibility study for the Corridor and the works were completed at the beginning of July 2024.

The study provides a comprehensive framework, covering the technical, legal, organizational and economic aspects of the hydrogen corridor, that constitutes the basis for the preparation of the roadmap for further project implementation.

The pre-feasibility study conclusions
The Nordic and Baltic region has significant renewable hydrogen potential identified within the pre-feasibility study at approx. 27.1 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen production (based on combined onshore and offshore wind and solar power) by 2040. This provides a great opportunity for hydrogen market creation and export potential towards continental Europe that is to be addressed by the NBHC. 

By 2040, the Corridor is projected to annually transport up to 2.7 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen to the countries along its route. The pre-feasibility study indicated that the NBHC can be one of the first operational cross-border hydrogen pipelines in Europe. The NBHC pipeline is currently planned to be 48 inches (1,200 mm) in diameter and approx. 2,500 km in length.  

Further steps  
Based on the pre-feasibility study results, the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor project partners are now planning to commence work on the feasibility study covering detailed analysis of the commercial and economic aspects of the project.  The results will determine further steps in the project implementation and future perspectives for the construction of a new cross-border hydrogen corridor.