Cross-border hydrogen project receives EU support
Published by Oliver Kleinschmidt,
Assistant Editor
Global Hydrogen Review,
The EU Commission is supporting the cross-border hydrogen projects RHYn (FR) and RHYn Interco (DE) with €3.5 million. The ‘Connecting Europe Facility for Energy’ (CEF) funding programme is supporting the planning work of the German grid operator terranets bw and the French grid operator NaTran.
In Germany, terranets bw is working together with the distribution network operator badenovaNETZE on the RHYn Interco hydrogen project. As the first 100% hydrogen network in Baden-Württemberg, it will connect the Freiburg im Breisgau area with hydrogen production in France. The CEF funding programme supports projects classified by the EU Commission as ‘Projects of Common Interest (PCI)’. Katrin Flinspach, Managing Director of terranets bw, said: "I am very pleased that our commitment to developing a sustainable hydrogen infrastructure has been recognised by the European side. The EU funding underscores the importance of the PCI project for a secure and climate-friendly energy supply in Germany and Europe."
Cross-border hydrogen infrastructure with potential
"For a reliable hydrogen supply, Germany needs diversified import routes. RHYn Interco creates a high-performance connection to France for Baden-Württemberg, enabling the transport of hydrogen produced there and later imported via the Southwest European Corridor," explained Stephanie Seybold, head of the RHYn Interco project at terranets bw. The project takes its name from the cross-border connection across the Rhine: ‘RHYn’ is the abbreviation for ‘Rhine HYdrogen Network,’ and ‘Interco’ stands for ‘interconnection’. RHYn Interco is part of the nationwide hydrogen core network, which aims to connect production and import centers with a network approximately 9000 km long by 2032.
Together with project partners NaTran and badenovaNETZE, terranets bw is working on the cross-border connection that connects the Southern Baden region of Baden-Württemberg with the Grand Est region of France. Starting in 2029, consumers in the Upper Rhine region will have access to a network that will transport 100% hydrogen. RHYn Interco is expected to be able to supply hydrogen to industrial and mobility customers as far afield as the Offenburg and Kehl areas by 2035.
Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/01072025/cross-border-hydrogen-project-receives-eu-support/