The German government’s National Hydrogen Strategy lays the foundation for a new era in the supply of energy – a future with hydrogen. A secure supply requires strategic partnerships, new approaches to generation and a modern infrastructure. We are using our expertise and experience to help make the energy future a reality.
Öhringen: up to 100 percent hydrogen in the gas grid
Hydrogen in the natural gas grid – can it be done? Yes. We ran tests between November 2021 and April 2025 to prove it in the form of the “Hydrogen Island Öhringen” and “Netzlabor H₂-100” projects, where 30 percent hydrogen was initially injected into a local section of the natural gas grid. The proportion was then gradually increased. Safe and reliable operation of the gas grid is still possible when 100 percent hydrogen is injected.
Find out more about the NETZlabor H₂-100 Öhringen project (in German only)
Building the hydrogen economy is a monumental task. We are approaching this reorganization at all levels – from generation and trading to transportation and storage. We will also use hydrogen ourselves. To this end, we are converting our power plants in Altbach/Deizisau, Stuttgart-Münster, Stuttgart-Gaisburg and Heilbronn and gradually readying them for the switch to hydrogen.
Wind farms and solar parks have to be switched off time and again whenever too much electricity is generated at the same time. Electrolyzers use electricity from renewable energy sources to split water into its individual components and produce hydrogen, enabling energy to be stored during generation peaks and transported to wherever it is needed.
Overall, the potential of renewable energies in Germany will not be sufficient to meet the emerging demand through domestic hydrogen production. Imports will therefore play a key role in meeting hydrogen demand – with an import share of 50–70% as per the National Hydrogen Strategy in 2030. To ensure security of supply, various countries of origin and import routes are being considered.
The hydrogen core network transports the hydrogen over long distances to where it is needed. Our subsidiaries terranets bw and ONTRAS are continuing to develop it. Yet an efficient H₂ infrastructure capable of meeting demand is also needed at distribution grid level. Our distribution system operators, such as Netze BW, are laying the groundwork for this reorganization and planning the infrastructure so that it can meet the demand for the energy source of the future.
Large-scale storage facilities in underground salt caverns are an important part of the hydrogen infrastructure. The demand for H2 storage in Germany will rise because it is a reliable way of covering fluctuating energy needs. We will therefore eventually need to create new storage capacity and repurpose existing storage facilities.
Hydrogen is highly versatile. In the future, for example, it is expected to heat blast furnaces and serve as a raw material for industry. Hydrogen will also play an important role in generating electricity and heating, especially when the sun is not shining and there is little wind. We are gearing up for the energy source of the future here with our fuel switch projects.
As an infrastructure provider, we have already launched many regional and local hydrogen projects and real-world laboratories, from hydropower-based production to hydrogen-ready gas power plants. This is how we are actively helping to develop the national hydrogen market.
Source: EnBW, FNB Gas