European gas transmission system operators Gasgrid Finland (Finland), Elering (Estonia), Conexus Baltic Grid (Latvia), Amber Grid (Lithuania), GAZ-SYSTEM (Poland) and ONTRAS (Germany) participate in the international project for the construction of the Nordic-Baltic Sea "Hydrogen Corridor", signing the contract for the pre-feasibility study of the Green Hydrogen corridor.

The winning company, AFRY Management Consulting, will analyze the conditions for the deployment of transboundary hydrogen infrastructure from Finland, the Baltic States and Poland to Germany, as well as green hydrogen development trends in the region.

The project is supported by a €3 million grant from the Finnish Ministry of Transport. The Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor project aims to create a link between Northern Europe's green energy production regions and key consumption centres in Central Europe. The project is expected to be implemented by 2030.

Sara Karki, senior vice president of hydrogen development for Gasgrid Finland, said that after analyzing the current economic situation, the consultants of the project's pre-feasibility study will provide answers on the potential for green and low hydrocarbon production and consumption in the region. They will also make recommendations on project scope, pipeline routes, capacity, financing and risk management. In addition, potential hydrogen storage sites will be investigated. The results of this study are extremely important for an entire region that is actively seeking opportunities to develop hydrogen energy ecosystems.

The project partners will decide on the further development of the project based on the recommendations of the Hydrogen Corridor pre-feasibility study.

The hydrogen corridor will create huge opportunities for the development of energy and related ecosystems. It will promote the development and use of renewable energy, accelerate the development of the hydrogen economy, and help meet Europe's climate goals. In addition, the hydrogen energy corridor will create conditions for industrial technological innovation investment along the route, reduce energy transportation costs, create jobs and generate more revenue for the country.

In December 2022, six gas transmission system operators signed a cooperation agreement with the project partners to advance the project.

In November 2023, the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor was granted the status of a project of Common Interest in Europe. Now, the project has reached an important stage, with the signing of a preliminary feasibility study contract by the project partners to further study the issue of the Nordic-Baltic hydrogen corridor.

With the dynamic changes taking place in the energy transition and economic decarbonisation of EU member states, hydrogen is expected to become one of the main energy carriers in Europe. Hydrogen will enhance the EU's energy security and reduce Europe's energy-intensive industries' dependence on imported fossil fuels and energy sources. Editor/Xu Shengpeng