The construction of a 2,500-kilometre green hydrogen corridor between the Nordic countries and the Baltic States could begin in 2029, the CEO of Lithuania’s natural gas transmission system operator Amber Grid, Nemunas Biknius, has declared.
“We’re doing everything right now in accordance with the agreed regional plan,” Biknius told BNS. “Our vision is to start as early as possible, and right now the primary job is a feasibility study over the next two years. Next will be the design phase. We see potential to begin the initial work in 2029.”
A pre-feasibility study has indicated that corridor will handle up to 2.7 million tonnes of hydrogen annually and will link Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany by the year 2040.
Biknius estimates that it will take five to seven years to build the corridor.
“The length of the pipeline will be around 2,500 kilometres, so it will probably not be built all at once, but in segments,” he says. “The preparatory phase is the hardest one, because this is an unprecedented project. It does seem, however, that the whole project can be implemented over the course of five to seven years.”
Green hydrogen is produced via electrolysis at onshore and offshore wind and solar farms, and it is meant to decarbonise transport vehicles and to produce synthetic fuels and aviation fuel for other applications.
Biknius pointed out that major power consumers such as Germany and the Netherlands may face hydrogen shortages in future if they wish to continue the development of their industries.
“It is from this perspective that we see potential for green hydrogen,” he said.
The European Commission agreed in April 2023 to grant the hydrogen corridor the status of a project of common interest (PCI), which will open up access to EU funding and accelerate the approval process.
Source: BNS
(Reproduction of BNS information in mass media and other websites without written consent of BNS is prohibited.)