RWE, Shell step up cooperation on German hydrogen pipeline project

RWE AG (ETR:RWE), oil group Royal Dutch Shell Plc (AMS:RDSA) and two more partners have signed a declaration of intent to step up their collaboration on the development of the first German offshore hydrogen pipeline.

The project is called AquaDuctus and is part of the AquaVentus venture, which envisages the installation of 10 GW of electrolysis capacity in the North Sea by 2035, the German energy group said today.

The two other partners intensifying efforts on the AquaDuctus project are German natural gas grid operator Gascade Gastransport GmbH and Dutch gas network company Gasunie, which also operates in Germany. The first step in the initiative will be the completion of a detailed feasibility study, according to the announcement.

The AquaVentus electrolysers will generate green hydrogen from offshore wind, with the island of Helgoland serving as the main hub. The green hydrogen will be transported to the continent via the AquaDuctus pipeline, which will be able to carry up to one million tonnes of hydrogen a year from 2035.

The announcements adds that the pipeline is "by far the most cost-effective option" for the transportation of large amounts of energy over distances of above 400 km (248.5 m). It will replace the need for the construction of five high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems.

At the moment, 48 companies, research institutions and organisations are part of the AquaVentus project.

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