{"id":1339,"date":"2026-05-17T23:37:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T21:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/hydrogen-storage-transport\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T09:27:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T07:27:18","slug":"hydrogen-storage-transport","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/technical-concept\/hydrogen-storage-transport\/","title":{"rendered":"Hydrogen storage & transport"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Hydrogen storage & transport<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sustainable use of existing infrastructure for hydrogen storage & transport<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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In order to close the supply gaps of renewable energies in the future, new and innovative ways to store the energy produced are required. The world’s first underground storage facility for green hydrogen planned at the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park represents a new milestone in this regard. The connected gas network also makes it possible to transport the green hydrogen to the end customer in accordance with the general supply situation. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Calibrated gas flow measurement and future underground hydrogen storage<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For the first phase of the real-world laboratory, above-ground plant components are planned that connect a gas treatment plant and a calibrated gas flow measurement system. These components serve the quality-assured integration of hydrogen into the existing infrastructure and create the technical prerequisites for a possible future storage connection. <\/p>

VNG Gasspeicher GmbH (VGS) has undertaken the construction of the calibrated measuring rail. The measuring rail was completed in June 2025 and will measure in the future how much hydrogen is actually produced and forwarded after electrolysis. It thus forms the basis for a precise and legally secure recording of the hydrogen quantities generated. <\/p>

Prospective use of existing infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>

In a possible follow-up project, an underground storage facility for green hydrogen could be created. In principle, there are two options for storing gases underground: pore or cavern storage. While in pore storage the gas is transported underground and absorbed by the rock like a sponge, cavern storage involves artificially created cavities in the earth into which the gas is pumped. As a rule, these are depleted natural gas deposits (pore storage) or old salt mines (cavern storage). In the case of the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park, an existing natural gas cavern storage facility could be repurposed for storing green hydrogen. <\/p>

Storage facilities for gases are generally very safe. Accidents or incidents are ruled out because there is neither oxygen nor ignition sources in the storage facility, which would be mandatory for dangerous incidents. Accidents are therefore only possible on the lines of the above-ground facility. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Contact Person<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Kay Okon<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Asset Management\nVNG Gasspeicher GmbH <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Transport of green hydrogen via converted natural gas pipeline<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The transport of green hydrogen can also take place in existing steel natural gas pipelines after conversion. For the transport of green hydrogen to the end customer, the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park has therefore utilized the existing gas network. For this purpose, a 25 km long natural gas pipeline leading to the industrial area near Leuna was converted to transport pure hydrogen. Looking ahead, the green hydrogen produced in the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park can later be transported to other regions via connections to the organically growing infrastructure. For example, via the Green Octopus Mitteldeutschland (GO!)<\/a> project, classified as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), towards the west, and the LHyVE<\/a> sub-project, the hydrogen ring around Leipzig, towards the east. These connections to the emerging European Hydrogen Backbone also provide access to import points and further hydrogen storage facilities. <\/p>

The gas pipeline used for transport belongs to the network of the transmission system operator ONTRAS, which is responsible for both the conversion of the pipeline and its subsequent operation. ONTRAS operates the 7,700-kilometer pipeline network in eastern Germany and has already been transporting green gases (biomethane, synthetic methane, and natural gas\/hydrogen mixtures) for many years. <\/p>

Before commissioning, the natural gas pipeline used for H2<\/sub> transport was inspected using state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to identify and eliminate any weak points. Subsequently, the pipeline was separated from the natural gas system and integrated into the hydrogen infrastructure. This also included equipping it with suitable control, regulation, measurement, and monitoring systems to ensure safe operation at all times. <\/p>

The hydrogen pipeline was commissioned in April 2025 and is now operated at a pressure of 30 bar, although a maximum pressure of 63 bar would be possible. Not utilizing this maximum pressure reflects findings from sources such as the European Hydrogen Backbone, according to which pipeline transport at medium pressure enables an optimal operating regime. Like all ONTRAS pipelines and facilities, this pipeline is monitored and controlled 24\/7 from the control center. The monitoring and maintenance cycles will be adapted to the new medium if necessary. Safety-relevant components (e.g., valves and pressure control systems) are also remote-controllable and can therefore be operated from the ONTRAS control center without delay if required. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Contact Person<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Christian Decker<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Asset Management\nONTRAS Gastransport GmbH <\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Excellent hydrogen quality through gas treatment<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Ensuring the highest purity standards is crucial for the effective use of the hydrogen produced. During storage and transport, however, foreign substances can enter the hydrogen, which must be removed before use. To provide customers with green hydrogen in the required quality and purity, specialized gas treatment plants are necessary both after storage and after transport. <\/p>

The first gas treatment station, which is being built on the premises of VNG Gasspeicher GmbH (VGS), will be constructed and operated in the future by DBI \u2013 Gastechnologisches Institut gGmbH Freiberg (DBI). Due to storage in the cavern, the green hydrogen may contain impurities such as water, oxygen, or sulfur compounds that can form microbiologically in the cavern. To remove these substances, DBI is building facilities for gas drying and desulfurization of the green hydrogen on an area of approximately 20 by 30 meters. As part of the scientific support<\/a> for the real-world laboratory of the energy transition, DBI is investigating whether new, more efficient, and more cost-effective processes for treating hydrogen can be developed. <\/p>

The transport of green hydrogen through pipelines also carries the risk of contamination, for example from natural gas residues adhering to the walls of the repurposed pipeline. To eliminate such contamination, special adsorbers with multiple layers (e.g., special activated carbon) are installed at the transfer station between the pipeline and the customer. For the first anchor customer of the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park, the TotalEnergies refinery in Leuna, ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH will build and operate two such adsorbers at the transfer station to the refinery. The adsorbers each have a height of four meters and a diameter of approximately 1.5 meters. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Contact Person<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Prof. Dr. Hartmut Krause<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Managing Director Science & Education Division\nDBI \u2013 Gas and Environmental Technology Institute gGmbH Freiberg<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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You might also be interested in<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHydrogen production<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHydrogen Marketing & Utilization<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScientific Monitoring<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hydrogen storage & transport Sustainable use of existing infrastructure for hydrogen storage & transport In order to close the supply gaps of renewable energies in the future, new and innovative ways to store the energy produced are required. The world’s first underground storage facility for green hydrogen planned at the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park represents a new milestone in this regard. The connected gas network also makes it possible to transport the green hydrogen to the end customer in accordance with the general supply situation. Calibrated gas flow measurement and future underground hydrogen storage For the first phase of the real-world laboratory, above-ground plant components are planned that connect a gas treatment plant and a calibrated gas flow measurement system. These components serve the quality-assured integration of hydrogen into the existing infrastructure and create the technical prerequisites for a possible future storage connection. VNG Gasspeicher GmbH (VGS) has undertaken the construction of the calibrated measuring rail. The measuring rail was completed in June 2025 and will measure in the future how much hydrogen is actually produced and forwarded after electrolysis. It thus forms the basis for a precise and legally secure recording of the hydrogen quantities generated. Prospective use of existing infrastructure In a possible follow-up project, an underground storage facility for green hydrogen could be created. In principle, there are two options for storing gases underground: pore or cavern storage. While in pore storage the gas is transported underground and absorbed by the rock like a sponge, cavern storage involves artificially created cavities in the earth into which the gas is pumped. As a rule, these are depleted natural gas deposits (pore storage) or old salt mines (cavern storage). In the case of the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park, an existing natural gas cavern storage facility could be repurposed for storing green hydrogen. Storage facilities for gases are generally very safe. Accidents or incidents are ruled out because there is neither oxygen nor ignition sources in the storage facility, which would be mandatory for dangerous incidents. Accidents are therefore only possible on the lines of the above-ground facility. Contact Person Kay Okon Asset Management VNG Gasspeicher GmbH Transport of green hydrogen via converted natural gas pipeline The transport of green hydrogen can also take place in existing steel natural gas pipelines after conversion. For the transport of green hydrogen to the end customer, the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park has therefore utilized the existing gas network. For this purpose, a 25 km long natural gas pipeline leading to the industrial area near Leuna was converted to transport pure hydrogen. Looking ahead, the green hydrogen produced in the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park can later be transported to other regions via connections to the organically growing infrastructure. For example, via the Green Octopus Mitteldeutschland (GO!) project, classified as an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI), towards the west, and the LHyVE sub-project, the hydrogen ring around Leipzig, towards the east. These connections to the emerging European Hydrogen Backbone also provide access to import points and further hydrogen storage facilities. The gas pipeline used for transport belongs to the network of the transmission system operator ONTRAS, which is responsible for both the conversion of the pipeline and its subsequent operation. ONTRAS operates the 7,700-kilometer pipeline network in eastern Germany and has already been transporting green gases (biomethane, synthetic methane, and natural gas\/hydrogen mixtures) for many years. Before commissioning, the natural gas pipeline used for H2 transport was inspected using state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to identify and eliminate any weak points. Subsequently, the pipeline was separated from the natural gas system and integrated into the hydrogen infrastructure. This also included equipping it with suitable control, regulation, measurement, and monitoring systems to ensure safe operation at all times. The hydrogen pipeline was commissioned in April 2025 and is now operated at a pressure of 30 bar, although a maximum pressure of 63 bar would be possible. Not utilizing this maximum pressure reflects findings from sources such as the European Hydrogen Backbone, according to which pipeline transport at medium pressure enables an optimal operating regime. Like all ONTRAS pipelines and facilities, this pipeline is monitored and controlled 24\/7 from the control center. The monitoring and maintenance cycles will be adapted to the new medium if necessary. Safety-relevant components (e.g., valves and pressure control systems) are also remote-controllable and can therefore be operated from the ONTRAS control center without delay if required. Contact Person Christian Decker Asset Management ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH Excellent hydrogen quality through gas treatment Ensuring the highest purity standards is crucial for the effective use of the hydrogen produced. During storage and transport, however, foreign substances can enter the hydrogen, which must be removed before use. To provide customers with green hydrogen in the required quality and purity, specialized gas treatment plants are necessary both after storage and after transport. The first gas treatment station, which is being built on the premises of VNG Gasspeicher GmbH (VGS), will be constructed and operated in the future by DBI \u2013 Gastechnologisches Institut gGmbH Freiberg (DBI). Due to storage in the cavern, the green hydrogen may contain impurities such as water, oxygen, or sulfur compounds that can form microbiologically in the cavern. To remove these substances, DBI is building facilities for gas drying and desulfurization of the green hydrogen on an area of approximately 20 by 30 meters. As part of the scientific support for the real-world laboratory of the energy transition, DBI is investigating whether new, more efficient, and more cost-effective processes for treating hydrogen can be developed. The transport of green hydrogen through pipelines also carries the risk of contamination, for example from natural gas residues adhering to the walls of the repurposed pipeline. To eliminate such contamination, special adsorbers with multiple layers (e.g., special activated carbon) are installed at the transfer station between the pipeline and the customer. For the first anchor customer of the Bad Lauchst\u00e4dt Energy Park, the TotalEnergies refinery in Leuna, ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH will build and operate two such adsorbers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1208,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1339","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1339"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1875,"href":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1339\/revisions\/1875"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/energiepark-bad-lauchstaedt.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}