Picture courtesy of MOLDOVATRANSGAZ
3 Hydrogen infrastructure levels
3.1 PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level
Projects conforming the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level are shown in the Figure 1 and are listed in Annex I of the TYNDP 2024 Annex D1. The hydrogen production assets available in both hydrogen infrastructure levels are identical and stated in Annex I of this report.
This IGI report focusses the analysis on two assessed simulation years (i. e., 2030 and 2040). Not all projects included in the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level will be fully implemented in the 2030 timeframe. It might be the case that projects are composed by several phases with different commissioning years and that the commissioning year of some projects and/or phases is 2030 or later and therefore not considered in the 2030 assessment. Whereas, in the 2040 assessment, full deployment of PCIs and PMIs is assumed.
Regarding intra-EU transmission infrastructure, in the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level, some Southern European countries are not connected to the European network, as visible in Figure 1. More specifically, the Greek and Bulgarian hydrogen systems are interconnected by PCIs, but remain isolated from other neighbouring countries. Countries and regions that are isolated without any cross-border hydrogen infrastructure in this hydrogen infrastructure level are Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Switzerland, Croatia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Malta, Luxembourg, the France-Southwest region, the Poland-North-region and the Poland-South region. Slovakia is isolated in 2030 and connected with Czechia and Austria only in 2040.
2 Hydrogen infrastructure capacities of the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level as well as the Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level for 2030 and 2040 are published as part of the TYNDP 2024 Annex C2
TYNDP 2024 Hydrogen projects – PCI status (excluding electrolysers)
Regarding storage infrastructure in the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level, only Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Spain have hydrogen storage capacities (see Table 1).
| Storage capacities | Direction | 2030 | 2040 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Injection | 3.16 | 3.16 |
| Denmark | Withdraw | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Denmark | Working Gas Volume | 100 | 100 |
| France | Injection & Withdraw | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| France | Working Gas Volume | 250 | 250 |
| Germany | Injection & Withdraw | 4.25 | 21.25 |
| Germany | Working Gas Volume | 154 | 359 |
| Netherlands | Injection & Withdraw | 3.3 | 13.2 |
| Netherlands | Working Gas Volume | 206 | 850 |
| Spain | Injection & Withdraw | 62.0 | 62.0 |
| Spain | Working Gas Volume | 708 | 2728 |
| Sum | Injection | 82.71 | 109.61 |
| Sum | Withdraw | 89.05 | 115.95 |
| Sum | Working Gas Volume | 1418 | 4287 |
Table 1: Hydrogen storage capacities considered in the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level for the assessed years (unit: GWh/d for injection and withdrawal and GWh for working gas volume).
Regarding extra-EU supplies, the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level has limited access to extra-EU supply potential. This is particularly relevant when considering the 2030 assessment:
- Regarding pipeline imports from extra-EU sources (see Table 2): PCIs and PMIs are considered to unlock North African, Norwegian and Ukrainian supply potential only from 2040.
| From Country | To Country | Hydrogen import capacity | Extra-EU hydrogen supply potential | Effective hydrogen import potential | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 2040 | 2030 | 2040 | 2030 | 2040 | ||
| Algeria | Italy | 0.0 | 448.0 | 116.8 | 1,124.5 | 0.0 | 448.0 |
| Morocco | Spain | 0.0 | 106.0 | 0.0 | 106.2 | 0.0 | 106.0 |
| Norway | Germany | 0.0 | 432.0 | 146.3 | 724.52 | 0.0 | 432.0 |
| Ukraine | Slovakia | 0.0 | 218.4 | 85.0 | 878.9 | 0.0 | 218.4 |
Table 2: Extra-EU import capacities via pipelines considered in the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level and extra-EU supply potential for the assessed years (unit: GWh/d).
- Regarding hydrogen import terminals (see Table 3): In 2030, extra-EU imports will be limited to the PCI import terminals in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. In 2040, higher capacity of PCI import terminals will be considered in these countries due to the planned full implementation of the multiple phases of the PCIs. In 2040, also an additional PCI import terminal located in France will be considered to be connected to the Belgian hydrogen network.
| Import capacities by ship To Country | 2030 | 2040 |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 59.3 | 193.6 |
| France | 0.0 | 48.0 |
| Germany | 44.2 | 67.7 |
| The Netherlands | 90.8 | 177.1 |
| Sum | 194.3 | 486.4 |
| Shipped supply potential | 2030 | 2040 |
| Extra-EU to EU | 193.3 | 1,327.4 |
| Effective hydrogen import potential | 2030 | 2040 |
| Minimum of import capacities by ship and shipped supply potential | 194.3 | 486.4 |
Table 3: Extra-EU import capacities via terminals considered in the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level and extra-EU supply potential by ship for the assessed years (unit: GWh/d).
3.2 Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level
The Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level is by definition more ambitious than the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level, as it contains not only the PCIs and PMIs, but also advanced hydrogen projects, which can involve countries without PCIs and PMIs.
Projects conforming the Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level are shown in the map in Figure 2 and are listed in Annex I of the TYNDP 2024 Annex D1. The hydrogen production assets available in both hydrogen infrastructure levels are identical and stated in Annex I of this report.
Regarding intra-EU transmission infrastructure, the Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level has a higher level of interconnections in Southern Europe, as visible in Figure 2. More specifically, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and Bosnia are interconnected in the Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level. Countries and regions that are isolated without any cross-border hydrogen infrastructure in this hydrogen infrastructure level are Luxembourg, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Malta, the France-Southwest region3, the Poland-North and the Poland-South region.
3 The hydrogen southwest region would not be isolated if MidHY was considered at the same maturity status as the rest of the projects in this geographical area. The results should show that, from 2030, the MidHY project would ensure, with the HySoW project, the export of significant excess volumes of Renewable and Low Carbon hydrogen from the south west zone of France to the HI west corridor.
TYNDP 2024 Hydrogen projects – PCI and Advanced status (excluding electrolysers)
Regarding storage infrastructure, the Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level has higher storage capacities in Germany and in the France-Southwest region (see Table 4).
| Storage capacities | Direction | 2030 | 2040 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | Injection | 3.16 | 3.16 |
| Denmark | Withdraw | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| Denmark | Working Gas Volume | 100 | 100 |
| France4 | Injection & Withdraw | 19.3 | 19.3 |
| France | Working Gas Volume | 750 | 750 |
| Germany | Injection & Withdraw | 63.25 | 80.25 |
| Germany | Working Gas Volume | 1,532 | 1,737 |
| Netherlands | Injection & Withdraw | 3.3 | 13.2 |
| Netherlands | Working Gas Volume | 206 | 850 |
| Spain | Injection & Withdraw | 62.0 | 62.0 |
| Spain | Working Gas Volume | 708 | 2728 |
| Sum | Injection | 151.01 | 173.91 |
| Sum | Withdraw | 157.35 | 184.25 |
| Sum | Working Gas Volume | 3,296 | 6,165 |
Table 4: Hydrogen storage capacities considered in the Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level for the assessed years (units: GWh/d for injection and withdrawal and GWh for working gas volume).
4 Some storage capacity in France is connected to the France-South region and some is connected to the France-Southwest region.
Regarding extra-EU supplies, the Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level has additional access to extra-EU supply potential compared to the PCI/PMI hydrogen infrastructure level:
- Regarding pipeline imports from extra-EU sources (see Table 5): The Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level includes access to North African (Algerian and Tunisian) supply in 2030 thanks to a project connecting Italy with this import source.
| From Country | To Country | Hydrogen import capacity | Extra-EU hydrogen supply potential | Effective hydrogen import potential | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 2040 | 2030 | 2040 | 2030 | 2040 | ||
| Algeria | Italy | 448.0 | 448.0 | 116.8 | 1,124.5 | 116.8 | 448.0 |
| Morocco | Spain | 0.0 | 106.0 | 0.0 | 106.2 | 0.0 | 106.0 |
| Norway | Germany | 0.0 | 432.0 | 146.3 | 724.52 | 0.0 | 432.0 |
| Ukraine | Slovakia | 0.0 | 218.4 | 85.0 | 878.9 | 0.0 | 218.4 |
Table 5: Extra-EU import capacities via pipelines considered in the Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level and extra-EU supply potential for the assessed years (unit: GWh/d).
- Regarding hydrogen import terminals (see Table 6): The Advanced hydrogen infrastructure level has higher import capacity in the Netherlands and in Poland due to the inclusion of advanced hydrogen import terminals.
| Import capacities by ship To Country | 2030 | 2040 |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 59.3 | 193.6 |
| France | 0.0 | 48.0 |
| Germany | 44.2 | 67.7 |
| The Netherlands | 136.3 | 222.6 |
| Poland | 17.7 | 17.7 |
| Sum | 257.5 | 549.6 |
| Shipped supply potential | 2030 | 2040 |
| Extra-EU to EU | 193.3 | 1,327.4 |
| Effective hydrogen import potential | 2030 | 2040 |
| Minimum of import capacities by ship and shipped supply potential | 227.8 | 549.6 |
Table 6: Extra-EU import capacities via terminals considered in the advanced hydrogen infrastructure level and extra-EU supply potential by ship for the assessed years (unit: GWh/d).