The Rh2ein-Main Connect project has been launched in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main metropolitan region with the aim of establishing a dedicated regional hydrogen network for the region. A cooperation agreement between regional suppliers and network operators aims to connect the region to the hydrogen core network. The first sections are to be put into operation as early as 2028.
The regional suppliers Entega AG, Mainova AG, ESWE Versorgungs AG and Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden AG (KMW) have signed the cooperation agreement for the Rh2ein-Main Connect project together with OGE and the distribution grid operators e-netz Südhessen and NRM.
The regional network in the Frankfurt area will supply the metropolitan region with several connections to the hydrogen core network. The first sections of Rh2ein-Main Connect are expected to go into operation from 2028.
Jörg Höhler, Chief Technical Officer of ESWE Versorgungs AG, explained that the hydrogen network is planned to have a total length of around 300 kilometres. The initial network is to be built by 2032. The project participants then want to rededicate existing natural gas pipelines. There is agreement with all partners involved that hydrogen should be fed in both from long-distance pipelines and in a decentralised manner. If possible, the cooperation partners also want to open up the possibility for industrial partners to use the hydrogen produced.
Planning and realisation of the hydrogen network
The first sections of the Rh2ein-Main Connect regional hydrogen network are to be built by 2028. The new pipelines are to be integrated into the protective strip of the existing natural gas network wherever possible. Local distribution of the hydrogen will then begin from 2032. From this point onwards, the focus will be less on new construction and more on rededicating the existing infrastructure from natural gas to the full use of hydrogen in order to achieve a gradual transition across the region.
According to a demand estimate, the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main metropolitan region is forecast to initially require around 5 TWh of hydrogen per year in 2030. It is assumed that this will increase to around 24 TWh per year by 2045.
According to the press release, the expected investment costs cannot be borne by the distribution grid operators alone. Funding and financing programmes from the public and private sectors are required. The companies involved expect the necessary investments to total around 610 million euros by 2040.
