Pipeline Rewired: Germany Bets on Hydrogen Future

Thyssengas to repurpose Dutch-German pipeline by 2027, boosting EU hydrogen supply and setting model for future links

4 Sep 2025

Germany has just redrawn part of its energy map. Thyssengas, one of the country's major pipeline operators, is converting a 52-kilometer natural gas line into a hydrogen corridor that will connect the Dutch border with Germany's industrial heartland. The plan, announced in late August, marks a concrete step in Europe's push to turn hydrogen from promise into practice.

Instead of laying down new steel, Thyssengas is opting for reuse. Repurposing existing pipelines avoids years of construction delays, trims costs, and speeds up delivery. If all goes to plan, hydrogen will flow through the line by 2027. The project could also serve as a test case for the European Hydrogen Backbone, the vision of a cross-border pipeline network running the length of the continent.

For Germany, the move is as strategic as it is technical. By linking Dutch ports such as Rotterdam and Eemshaven to heavy industries in North Rhine-Westphalia, the pipeline will feed the steel, chemical, and transport sectors that are notoriously difficult to clean up. Europe's target of 20 million tons of hydrogen consumption by 2030, half of it imported, makes infrastructure like this central to the strategy.

Thyssengas chief executive Thomas Gößmann called the conversion a foundation stone for the hydrogen economy. Industry watchers agree that visible progress can reassure wary buyers and help kickstart demand. In a market where hesitation often stalls momentum, being first can offer a crucial edge.

The road is not without bumps. Older pipelines need thorough testing, and existing routes may not perfectly match future demand. Yet energy analysts argue that moving early beats waiting for ideal conditions. Building confidence, they say, is as important as laying pipe.

Eyes across Europe are now on this German-Dutch link. Operators in Spain, France, and Scandinavia are studying similar conversions. If the model holds, it could shape the continent's blueprint for delivering hydrogen at scale, shifting the clean energy debate from strategy papers to steel and valves in the ground.