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CleanTechnicaabout 1 month ago

Germany’s Hydrogen Backbone & the Long Shadow of Russian Gas

Key Takeaway

Germany's new hydrogen backbone, while aiming for a clean energy future, is built upon legacy Russian gas infrastructure, raising questions about its immediate utility and strategic independence.

AI Summary

  • Germany has operationalized a segment of its hydrogen backbone, which currently lacks both suppliers and customers.
  • The infrastructure's physical characteristics (route, diameter, age) and economics are strongly linked to former Russian natural gas pipelines.
  • This early investment is positioned as a strategic move for a future hydrogen economy, despite its current underutilization and historical ties.
  • The article implies potential strategic and economic challenges arising from the backbone's legacy infrastructure and current lack of market integration.

Topics

emissionspolicytransmission

Article Content

Germany’s newly pressurized hydrogen backbone segment with no suppliers and no customers is often described as a clean break from the past, a necessary early investment in a future hydrogen economy. The steel tells a different story. The route, diameter, age, and economics of the pipeline point back to Russian ... [continued] The post Germany’s Hydrogen Backbone & the Long Shadow of Russian Gas appeared first on CleanTechnica .