Our Hydrogen Projects
Green Octopus Mitteldeutschland – green hydrogen for industrial regions
The Central German Chemical Triangle needs green hydrogen. The same is true for the industries in Saxony-Anhalt and the steel region in Salzgitter/Lower Saxony. Green Octopus Mitteldeutschland (GO!) is the future transport route for this hydrogen: GO! connects the regions and integrates the future hydrogen storage facility in Bad Lauchstädt.
IPCEI project GO! connects regions
From 2027, GO! will ensure the secure transport of hydrogen between the Central German Chemical Triangle, the metropolitan area of Halle-Leipzig, Magdeburg and the steel region in Salzgitter with a network of pipelines covering around 305 kilometres. GO! will also make use of other H2 pipelines to integrate these regions into the growing European Hydrogen Backbone. A connected cavern storage facility with a working gas volume of 50 million cubic metres stabilises the hydrogen infrastructure and ensures a balance between supply and demand.
Along with doing hydrogen, GO! is one of the ONTRAS projects that have been selected by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology as IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) in 2021. Before the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology can issue the notification of funding, the projects are still being examined by the EU Commission in terms of state aid law ("notification").
Pipeline length
A network of pipelines covering around 305 kilometres, 190 kilometres of which are repurposed ONTRAS pipelines and 115 kilometres of newly constructed pipelines
Contents and objectives
- Connection of hydrogen caverns with 50 million cubic metres of working gas volume (VNG Gasspeicher GmbH)
- Integration into the future European hydrogen network
- Connection to the steel industry in Salzgitter
- Salzgitter/Hanover/Wolfsburg region as an important hub
- Development of the Leipzig economic region with a “hydrogen ring” with a total length of around 105 km (LHyVE Transport)
Outlook
- Gives the Salzgitter steel region diversification opportunities for hydrogen procurement and access to storage facilities
- Connects the eastern German hydrogen network with the European Hydrogen Backbone in the west
Project initiators
- ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH
- VNG Gasspeicher GmbH
Green hydrogen for steel production
Towards the north, GO! will extend to the Salzgitter industrial area in Lower Saxony, where it can be connected to the planned pipeline infrastructure extending to the North Sea and Benelux. This creates security of supply, particularly for the high demands of the steel industry. GO! also enables the flexible arrangement of other supply and delivery points for hydrogen along the catchment area of the entire route, which will support the establishment of new hydrogen producers and consumers.
LHyVE Transport integrated into GO!
The initially independent IPCEI project LHyVE Transport has been merged with GO! in the further process. In the south, GO! branches out into three lines from the end point of the H2 pipeline at the Energiepark Bad Lauchstädt in Leuna. They cover greater Leipzig in the north and south. The northern line passes along a corridor of large industrial companies, including Leipzig/Halle Airport and several companies in the automotive sector. In future it will be connected to the IPCEI doing hydrogen.
Using existing gas infrastructure saves time and money
GO! will make use of existing natural gas pipelines wherever possible. And, just like the pipelines for the Energiepark Bad Lauchstädt, they will all first be thoroughly tested and, where necessary, retrofitted before they are switched to hydrogen operation. This significantly reduces the overall project costs and shortens the lead time for hydrogen operation. It also considerably reduces planning and approval procedures, not to mention waiting times for material. Necessary interventions in the natural environment are kept to a minimum. What’s more, existing pipelines already pass along an optimised route to the primary consumers.
