Pipeline strengthens resilience of European security of supply. Convincing utilization perspective for hydrogen transports to foster the energy transition.
Düsseldorf/Kassel. As of today, the "Ostsee Anbindungsleitung" (OAL) has a second owner: Fluxys Deutschland GmbH (Fluxys Deutschland). The Düsseldorf-based transmission system operator has acquired a 25 percent share in the pipeline from GASCADE Gastransport GmbH (GASCADE). Fluxys Deutschland will market the associated transport capacities independently in future.
"The project fits perfectly into our ambitious strategy", says Friedrich Rosenstock, Managing Director of Fluxys Deutschland. "We see the investment as a further building block to guarantee a secure energy and to build a multi-molecule infrastructure for a climate-neutral future together with proven partners."
Pascal De Buck, Managing Director and CEO of parent group Fluxys: “Unlocking as much sources as possible is key for security of energy supply in Germany and Europe today as well as tomorrow. Our partnership in OAL is a new step in Fluxys’ long-standing focus on future-proof infrastructure to maximise diversity of supply options.”
"By feeding regasified LNG into the gas grid, OAL strengthens security of supply in the short term. In the medium term, it is possible to convert OAL to the transportation of hydrogen," adds GASCADE Managing Director Ulrich Benterbusch.
The approximately 50-kilometer-long OAL connects the LNG terminal in the port of Mukran on the island of Rügen with Lubmin from which point it is linked to the pipeline network. Fluxys Deutschland and GASCADE are already co-owners of the “Nordeuropäische Erdgasleitung” (North European Natural Gas Pipeline, NEL) and the “Europäische Gas-Anbindungsleitung” (European Gas Pipeline Link, EUGAL), which also have their starting points in Lubmin near Greifswald.
NEL, EUGAL and OAL jointly contribute to the European security of supply. Substantial transport capacities can be provided in Lubmin via the three pipeline systems to transport gas from the coast in the north-east to the main consumption areas in Germany and its neighbouring European countries.
OAL will make an important contribution on the road to climate neutrality. The Lubmin site, or the exit point of the OAL, will also play a central role in the development of the German hydrogen network. From there green hydrogen produced or landed in and around the Baltic Sea will be transported south, as part of the "Flow - making hydrogen happen" project to industrial consumption centres in the east and in southern Hesse and Baden-Württemberg.
About GASCADE
GASCADE Gastransport GmbH operates a Germany-wide gas pipeline network. The Kassel-based network company offers its customers modern and competitive transport services for natural gas and, in future, other gases in the heart of Europe via its own high-pressure pipeline network, which is around 3,700 kilometers long. GASCADE is pursuing the goal of gradually converting its pipeline network to the transportation of hydrogen and is therefore active in several onshore and offshore hydrogen projects.
About Fluxys Deutschland
Fluxys Deutschland GmbH is a transmission system operator that markets 23.87% of the transport capacity of the NEL pipeline and 16.5% of the transport capacity of the EUGAL pipeline. Fluxys Deutschland is wholly owned by the Belgian group Fluxys SA/NV, an independent energy infrastructure company, which aims to be an essential infrastructure partner for speeding up the energy transition. Fluxys is making a significant contribution to European security of supply and is going to drive decarbonisation by transporting hydrogen, biomethane and other climate-neutral energy sources as well as captured CO2.
