AquaDuctus Hydrogen Pipeline

This article is part of the Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.

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AquaDuctus Hydrogen Pipeline is a proposed offshore hydrogen pipeline that will connect the UK and Germany to an offshore hydrogen production facility.

Location

The pipeline will run from a future offshore green hydrogen production facility between Germany and UK to Helgoland, Germany and the Dogger Sand Bank, UK.

Project details

• Operator: GASCADE Gastransport GmbH
• Owner: Gasunie, RWE AG, GASCADE Gastransport GmbH, Shell
• Parent company: Gasunie, RWE AG, GASCADE Gastransport GmbH, Shell
• Capacity: Up to 10 GW of energy production capacity
• Length: 400 km
  • Phase 1: Details uncertain
  • Phase 2: 150 km
  • Phase 3: Details uncertain
• Diameter:
• Status: Proposed
• Start year: 2035
• Cost:
• Financing: Has applied for IPCEI funding as of Jan, 2023
• Associated infrastructure:

Background

The AquaDuctus Hydrogen Pipeline is part of the green hydrogen infrastructure mega-project "AquaVentus". This broad project covers a range of smaller projects that aim to produce and transport up to 10 GW of green hydrogen to Europe. The project involves using offshore wind-farms in the North Sea to power electrolysers, which will then produce Hydrogen that can be used for power generation once it is transported through pipelines.

More than 40 partner organizations are involved in the AquaVentus project.

According to ENTSOG's December 2022 TYNDP project list breaks down the project into the following 3 phases:

Phase 1 (Heligoland–Aquaprimus II)

In this phase, a 28 MW electrolyser is expected to be built at the AquaPrimus site, which will then be connected to Heligoland, Germany.

Phase 2 (Extension of Phase 1 to AquaSector production sites)

The AquaSector wind farm is a proposed wind farm 150km north of Heligoland, with a potential maximum capacity of 300 MW. The second phase of the AquaDuctus pipeline will link the first phase to the AquaSector hydrogen production sites.

Phase 3 (Connection to German mainland)

The final phase involves the connection of the AquaDuctus to the German mainland, where the Hydrogen can be transported into Europe.