(Stuttgart / Germany) – The Franco-German hydrogen project of the network operators Terranets BW GmbH, Badenova Netze GmbH, and NaTran SA has received €3,5 million in funding from the EU Commission. This funding will go to NaTran and Terranets BW for the transport infrastructure, emphasizes Terranets spokesperson Nadine Leiker, pointing out that the distribution network level "is not directly funded by the EU." This funding will be used to support the planning work for "RHYn" (Rhine HYdrogen Network, France) and "RHYn Interco" (Interconnection, Germany) within the framework of the "Connecting Europe Facility for Energy" (CEF) funding program.
RHYn Interco will connect the Freiburg region in Baden-Württemberg with hydrogen production in France. © Terranets BW GmbH
The companies plan to connect Baden-Württemberg with the Grand Est region of France near Freiburg. Starting in 2029, consumers in the Upper Rhine region will have access to a network that will transport 100 percent hydrogen. RHYn Interco is part of the nationwide hydrogen core network, which is to connect production and import centers with a network of approximately 2032 kilometers by 9.000.
In the section currently being funded, a new, approximately 15-kilometer-long hydrogen pipeline from Terranets BW will cross the Rhine between the Fessenheim area on the French side and the Bad Krozingen area on the German side. This pipeline will be connected to an existing, approximately 20-kilometer-long gas pipeline from Terranets BW, which runs to March-Buchheim, and will be converted to transport hydrogen. Customers will be connected via Badenova Netze GmbH in the Freiburg area. By converting a further 60-kilometer-long section, the hydrogen network could then be extended from Freiburg to Offenburg starting in 2035.
"For a reliable supply of hydrogen, Germany needs diversified import routes," says Stephanie Seybold, head of the RHYn Interco project at Terranets BW. The project will create "an efficient connection to France for Baden-Württemberg and can transport hydrogen produced there and later imported via the Southwest European Corridor."
South German natural gas pipeline approved
Back in March, the Karlsruhe Regional Council approved the construction and operation of a 62-kilometer section of the "South German Natural Gas Pipeline" (SEL) from Mannheim to Heilbronn. This means that valid planning approval decisions for the entire SEL route, from the Hessian state border to Bavaria, are now in place, says Katrin Flinspach, Managing Director of Terranets BW.
Eventually, natural gas and then hydrogen will be transported through Baden-Württemberg over a total length of approximately 250 kilometers. An initial 24-kilometer section from Heilbronn to the Ludwigsburg district has been transporting natural gas since December 2024. A further approximately 2027 kilometers of the SEL in the Rhine-Neckar region and the greater Stuttgart area are scheduled to be completed by the end of 150. From the early 2030s, the pipeline will "transport hydrogen to Baden-Württemberg as a central supply artery."
Graphic above
Terranets BW GmbH operates a gas network spanning approximately 3.000 kilometers. As part of its "Hydrogen for Baden-Württemberg" initiative, the company is working to connect the state to the German and European hydrogen infrastructure. Terranets BW itself is not involved in hydrogen production, but transports natural gas and hydrogen to customers. The Energy Industry Act requires a clear separation between network operation and generation. © Terranets BW GmbH
