The Bundestag has passed a law to build a billion-dollar hydrogen core network in Germany. The core network should include the most important lines of the hydrogen transport and import infrastructure.
A total of 9,700 kilometers of lines are planned. Investments of around 20 billion euros are expected. The law still has to pass the Federal Council. It is intended to connect large hydrogen consumption and production regions, for example where there are large industrial centers, storage facilities and power plants. The state provides a guarantee for part of the investments. However, the 24 percent deductible for companies when the federal government balances the account is high and could prevent investments. State insurance is also planned for the core network, which is to be financed entirely through network fees. In the first phase of the ramp-up, the costs of network operation exceeded the revenues, while in the second phase the revenues would be higher than the costs, as the Federal Network Agency announced. This should be balanced again by 2055, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.