Energie AG brings hydrogen start-up network to approval

Energie AG brings hydrogen start-up network to approval

Energie AG Oberösterreich is driving forward the development and application of future-oriented technologies. With the strategic reorientation of the company, green hydrogen has also become more of a focus. One building block for this is the construction of a hydrogen start-up network in Upper Austria. As a first step, a pipeline section of the existing natural gas pipeline network of Netz Oberösterreich GmbH, the electricity and gas network operator of Energie AG, between Linz and Sattledt is to be submitted for alternative use with hydrogen.

Green hydrogen will become increasingly important for a renewable energy future and as a problem solver in the transformation. As a climate-neutral energy source, hydrogen is suitable as a seasonal storage medium for industrial applications and can reduce CO2 emissions in heavy transport. Netz Oberösterreich GmbH, the electricity and gas network operator of Energie AG, has a pipeline network of around 6,000 kilometers and can make some of these pipelines available for hydrogen supply: The repurposing of a pipeline section for alternative use with hydrogen is to be submitted soon.

Alexander Kirchner, CTO of Energie AG and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Netz Oberösterreich GmbH.

For Energie AG, green hydrogen is an essential component of a renewable energy future.

“The existing natural gas pipelines can be made fit for the transport of hydrogen. By repurposing the existing pipeline between Linz and Sattledt, we are taking a first big step. We are thus making it possible for Upper Austria to be one of the first regions in Austria to be supplied with hydrogen,”

The gas pipeline network in Upper Austria is traditionally well developed due to the high demand from the economy. Although methane (natural gas) has been transported so far, the pipeline network can be upgraded to transport other gases by modifying the fittings and distribution facilities – in the spirit of the energy future and the goals for the energy transition, the medium transported in the future will increasingly be hydrogen. This ensures that the needs of industrial and commercial customers can also be met in the area of hydrogen.

Netz Oberösterreich GmbH plans to operate the double-strand pipeline between Ebelsberg in the southeast of Linz and Sattledt as a dual-use pipeline in the future. This will make it possible to continue to transport methane (natural gas) in one pipe, while the second pipe can be used to transport hydrogen. The hydrogen pipeline intended for this purpose has a diameter of 40 centimeters and, depending on the pressure situation, can transport up to 50,000 cubic meters of hydrogen per hour – an amount that corresponds to around 170 MW and thus covers the output of the district heating plant in Linz. The planned dual use requires a change to the operating plant permit, which must be reviewed and approved by the state government office. The legal framework for economic viability has already been clarified.

 READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central

Energie AG brings hydrogen start-up network to approval