Transport

The decisive factor for the economic use of hydrogen is a targeted connection between hydrogen producers and consumers in line with the respective application purpose. As hydrogen is primarily used efficiently in its pure, unmixed form, it must be made available to the user in this form as a matter of priority. This should be ensured through separate transport or on-site production of climate-neutral hydrogen.

The feeding and blending of hydrogen into the gas grid therefore plays a subordinate role. This would only become more important with a significant increase in hydrogen production. A progressive increase in the hydrogen compatibility of the gas infrastructure is an important requirement for the climate-neutral energy system in 2040 with regard to the future targeted conversion of selected gas networks into a hydrogen infrastructure.

Starting points for the need for a dedicated hydrogen infrastructure and the future role of the gas infrastructure must be evaluated, particularly in the context of the international competitiveness of industrial clusters (security of supply and production costs in a European and international comparison). The BMK is currently conducting studies on this topic, and the Austrian Network Infrastructure Plan (ÖNIP) also addresses this issue.

The transformation of the existing gas infrastructure will be a focus of HyPA for the years 2023/2024, starting with an event on the topic of "Import options for renewable hydrogen".

The study by AIT and Frontier Economics presented at the event identified the import of hydrogen via pipeline in particular as a viable option, which is why a southern corridor (North Africa - Italy - Austria - Germany) is being pursued, among other things. The energy ministers of Austria, Germany and Italy have signed a joint letter of support for the development of the "southern hydrogen corridor".

Whether for short-term diversification on a fossil basis or the fossil-free long-term perspective, imports require a corresponding infrastructure of higher-level pipelines, storage facilities and transfer points, which is why participation in transnational infrastructure initiatives (e.g. European Hydrogen Backbone) is of great importance.