Press releases
23.07.2026
Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor secures strong market backing for cross-border hydrogen pipeline
Comprehensive Call for Interest (CfI) results confirm strong market demand for the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor (NBHC), closely matching early technical projections. With project developers and shippers signaling clear capacity needs, the results validate the infrastructure as a viable and essential European energy artery, ensuring commercial utilization from its first day of operation in the 2033+ horizon.
The market survey captured 93 responses from 81 distinct companies representing 108 projects. The results demonstrate that by 2040, projected market demand will reach 79.24 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually. This includes 64.4 TWh from dedicated industrial projects and 14.8 TWh from German distribution networks, representing approximately 87% of the corridor’s theoretical 91 TWh capacity projection established in pre-feasibility studies.
“The market consultation confirms structural demand along the planned route, thereby underlining the high relevance of the NBHC. Our next objective is to convert the responses to the market consultation into formal letters of intent,” said Ralph Bahke, ONTRAS Managing Director Management and Development. “At the same time, the results show that the market is still at an early stage of development. This highlights the need for effective de-risking mechanisms and a stable regulatory framework to facilitate investment decisions and support the gradual development of a European hydrogen market.”
Regional supply and demand dynamics
Finland is expected to play a key role in hydrogen production. Hydrogen output is projected to more than double from 15.4 TWh in 2033 to 38.6 TWh by 2050, while domestic consumption will remain stable at around 2.1 TWh annually.
The Baltic States will serve as both producers and consumers in a growing local hydrogen economy. Regional production is forecast to grow from 3.4 TWh in 2033 to 11.1 TWh by 2050, alongside a steady rise in consumption from 0.2 TWh to 4.5 TWh over the same period.
Poland presents a dynamic market profile where heavy industrial consumption will consistently outpace domestic supply. Production is expected to grow from 2.8 TWh in 2033 to 13.2 TWh by 2050, while demand will surge from 11.8 TWh to 32.4 TWh over the same period.
Germany will act as the network's primary destination and largest consumer, with survey responses focused exclusively on offtake. Direct project consumption is projected to scale rapidly, almost tripling from 15.3 TWh in 2033 to 44.4 TWh by 2050.
Fueling the broader market
Beyond direct industrial connections, Germany's secondary market will see a substantial influx through distribution system operators.
Germany's Eastern regional distribution demand, driven by medium-sized enterprises and municipal utilities, will surge from 3.0 TWh in 2033 to 24.9 TWh by 2050.
Recent findings from German national hydrogen market survey indicate that German total long-term demand indications may exceed the CfI demand projections, reinforcing the NBHC's position as a crucial supply artery.
Cross-border shipment data highlights a demand for a transnational hydrogen pipeline. Shippers and traders disclosed plans to increase transportation volumes from 25.4 TWh in 2035 to 38.2 TWh by 2050. A significant portion of these volumes remains flexible in destination, signaling the early stages of a liquid European hydrogen trading market where early movers secure transport options to sell into the highest-premium markets.
Progressing towards 2027 milestones
The NBHC project is currently in the feasibility phase. The participating transmission system operators – Finland’s Gasgrid vetyverkot Oy, Estonia’s Elering, Latvia’s Conexus Baltic Grid, Lithuania’s Amber Grid, Poland’s GAZ-SYSTEM, and Germany’s ONTRAS Gastransport – will continue engagement with market participants to further assess capacity needs and potential project development pathways.
Technical and commercial studies are ongoing and are expected to be completed in 2027. The project remains open to additional market input as planning progresses.
About the project
The NBHC is an international project involving the construction of approximately 2,500 km of hydrogen transmission infrastructure connecting Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany. The project aims to create a new cross-border corridor from Finland, across the Baltic States and Poland, to Germany. The completion of the NBHC will unlock the significant hydrogen potential of the eastern Baltic Sea region and ensure access to a stable supply of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen for the countries through which the transmission infrastructure will be routed. In April 2024, the European Commission granted NBHC Project of Common Interest (PCI) status (the project is part of the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan's hydrogen strand, BEMIP Hydrogen). In July 2025, a maximum of EUR 6.8 million was allocated for the feasibility phase of the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor project from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).