Gasgrid Finland awards basic design contract for hydrogen transmission pipeline

Business Developments & Projects

State-owned transmission system operator Gasgrid Finland has taken the next step in the development of its hydrogen transfer infrastructure demonstration project with a contract for the basic design of a 23-kilometre hydrogen transmission pipeline.

Illustration only; Archive. Source: Ovako

Namely, Gagrid Vetyverkot Oy, which was founded at the end of 2022 to promote the development of the Finnish hydrogen network, has signed a contract with engineering and consulting firm ILF.

The contract includes the basic design for a hydrogen transmission pipeline in Finland along with a compressor station and related infrastructure. In addition, ILF will support Gasgird in obtaining the necessary permits and agreements in consultation with local institutions.

The pipeline will transport hydrogen produced at the Kemira Oyj’s plant in Joutseno to the Ovako Imatra Oy Ab’s steel mill in Imatra. This is said to be the first hydrogen transmission project that extends beyond an industrial site.

The project was granted €9.5 million in RRF energy investment support under the EU’s NextGenerationEU funding instrument.

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The project will also be the first step toward developing domestic and international hydrogen-based markets and hydrogen transmission infrastructure.

The Finnish government has tasked Gagrid with the development of national hydrogen infrastructure as soon as possible. To support this work, on 8 June, Gasgrid launched a non-binding market consultation for industrial actors to indicate their interest in connecting to future hydrogen networks in Finland.

The hydrogen market consultation will be open until the end of August while review and compilation of results are scheduled for September and October this year.

Gasgrid Finland also actively participates in development projects in the Baltic Sea region as part of the European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) group.

Additionally, the company is involved in the Nordic Hydrogen Route project, to develop the hydrogen infrastructure in the Bothnia Bay area.

Besides these, Gasgrid is developing hydrogen networks in the Baltic Sea area in the Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector project as well as in the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor project. 

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