German gas pipelines can be used to transport hydrogen, technical body's study says

Steel pipes installed in Germany's gas network are suitable for transporting hydrogen, according to a study by the German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW), a recognized standards body for the gas and water industries. The study tested operational aging and the strength of steel under long-term operation.

"The research findings are a breakthrough for the future of hydrogen," said CEO Gerald Linke. He added that of the three challenges in the value chain—production, transport and use—"transport has now essentially been solved."

Pipelines in Germany's gas networks can also be used to transport hydrogen. Only individual sections of pipelines or station components will need to be upgraded or replaced. This makes economic sense, according to DVGW, because existing infrastructure can be used: more than 550 thousand kilometers of pipelines worth approximately 300 billion euros have been built over many decades.

According to DVGW, upgrading the network to transport hydrogen should cost a total of around 30 billion euros. To ensure that the transition to future hydrogen use is entirely safe and provides legal certainty, DVGW has revised its rules and regulations for using up to 100% hydrogen and is currently supplementing them with several additional standards.