Not just community energy. Czech law opens the way for hydrogen in gas pipelines

The debate around the amendment to the Energy Act has focused mainly on the topic of so-called community energy. However, the amendment has also marked a major milestone in the greening of the Czech gas sector. As of the new year, hydrogen is covered by the same legal framework as natural gas and can therefore be distributed through the gas pipeline network to consumers. GasNet Group has been preparing for hydrogen for a long time and can already distribute a 20% blend of hydrogen with natural gas.

GasNet Group is the Czech Republic’s leading natural gas distributor and is also confirming its leadership in the distribution of renewable hydrogen, which is expected to ensure the country’s energy sustainability and security in the future. As the largest Czech distributor, GasNet has long been at the forefront of the entire gas sector in championing this change, which will help the Czech economy remain competitive.

“For the first time, the Energy Act lists hydrogen among the gases that can be distributed through the gas system. Hydrogen is now covered by the same legal framework as natural gas. This is a clear signal from the state to all market players that hydrogen is part of the plan and that it is possible to begin making more substantial investments in the use of this low-emission gas, which we simply cannot do without in the long term. Gaseous fuels will remain an integral part of the Czech energy mix because of their irreplaceable properties. Hydrogen, together with biomethane, represents the green future of the gas sector,” says Pavel Dočekal, who is responsible for legislative affairs at GasNet.

Hydrogen is a stable energy carrier that can be transported and distributed over long distances with virtually no losses. Gas is virtually indispensable for industries such as manufacturing and district heating that use direct-combustion technology.

The first step towards a green gas sector and a sustainable economy

GasNet’s long-term strategy is based on gradually increasing the share of hydrogen in the distribution system. The process is expected to start with a gradual introduction of a blend of natural gas and hydrogen. The share of hydrogen is set to increase over the medium and long term, eventually reaching 100%. But gas pipelines can already handle a 20% blend of hydrogen with natural gas.

“Including hydrogen in the Energy Act is an important milestone that will underpin the preparation of the necessary follow-up legislation. Work will continue on implementing regulations and technical standards, for example on connecting hydrogen production facilities and gas quality,” adds Pavel Dočekal.

The Energy Act provides for both a gas blend (so-called blending) and pure hydrogen. While a blend of up to 20% does not require major technological changes, concentrations above 20% will require further modifications to gas infrastructure. GasNet is working intensively on this with other Czech gas companies.

GasNet is paving the way for hydrogen

“We want a stable future. We have 2.3 million customers to whom we distribute energy every day through our pipelines. We are aware of the enormous responsibility we have to ensure that we can continue these safe and reliable supplies in a world of low-emission and zero-emission energy. We are championing the transformation of the gas sector and have been preparing for it for a long time. Czechia needs gas, and hydrogen is its low-emission future. We want to continue playing a key role in the hydrogen revolution in Czechia,” says Pavel Dočekal.

GasNet is also working with other gas companies through the Czech Gas Association and the Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP). It is also active internationally—for example, in the Ready for Hydrogen platform, which brings together European gas distribution companies and is jointly preparing the interconnected European market for the arrival of green hydrogen.

The first hydrogen molecules could soon appear in Czech gas pipelines. As a leader in this green transition, GasNet is currently preparing its first pilot projects to inject hydrogen into the local network. In these cases, the hydrogen is expected to be produced in Czechia directly from renewable electricity, thereby helping to strengthen the country’s energy security. Hydrogen could also be delivered as part of a blend from the transmission system, since it will also be mixed with natural gas across the border, for example in Germany.

GasNet is currently at the most advanced stage of preparations in the Ústí nad Labem, Karlovy Vary and Moravian-Silesian regions, which are united by a joint hydrogen memorandum and where connections for the first hydrogen production facilities are being prepared. These include the Hydrogen Cluster project in the Ostrava area, of which GasNet is a member, and the Triangle industrial zone near Žatec. GasNet will be able to connect these facilities just as it does today with renewable biomethane production facilities.

Replacing natural gas with hydrogen is comparable in scale to another successful change in the Czech gas sector, completed in 1996. At that time, Czechia definitively abandoned town gas and switched to extracted natural gas. The robust and reliable gas distribution infrastructure handled that transition, just as it is now preparing for the hydrogen era in the country’s energy sector.