Referreport
“Green” hydrogen should play a key role in the climate-friendly restructuring of industry. A neighbor is considered a close partner. But there is a problem with the schedule.
The start of a hydrogen pipeline from Denmark to Germany has been postponed by several years. The construction planned for 2028 will be delayed until 2031, as the Climate and Energy Ministry in Copenhagen announced. An audit by the state-owned company Energinet showed that extensive environmental and safety studies were still needed. Sometimes you have to acknowledge reality, said Climate Minister Lars Aagaard to the Ritzau news agency.
Aagaard agreed on the pipeline with Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck in March 2023. “Green” hydrogen, which is produced on the basis of renewable energies from wind and sun, should play a key role in the climate-friendly conversion of production processes in industry. Germany wants to produce a lot of “green” hydrogen itself, but also has to import large quantities and also wants to work with other countries such as Norway. The DIHK spoke of a new setback.
The section from the German border to the Danish city of Esbjerg is now scheduled to be completed in 2031, and the entire pipeline in 2033.
When asked, the Federal Ministry of Economics said that the announced delays would have no impact on the planned ramp-up of the hydrogen market in Germany. “We are in constant contact with the Danish side, and the Danish government also wants to implement the project as soon as possible,” said a spokeswoman. Possible acceleration options would be discussed at working level. The aim is to keep the delay as short as possible.
DIHK deputy managing director Achim Dercks called the news a further setback for companies that urgently depend on hydrogen for their operational climate neutrality. The joint project to produce green and low-carbon hydrogen in Norway and its export to Germany was stopped at the end of September.
The interruption or delay of such projects significantly hinders German industry and endangers not only the achievement of national climate goals, but also the defossilization of the economy and the competitiveness of Germany as a location. At the same time, dependencies on fossil fuels would be extended. The DIHK advocates giving top priority to expanding partnerships with international hydrogen producers and building appropriate infrastructure.
Source: German