Development / Participation in developing the national hydrogen infrastructure

Participation in developing the national hydrogen infrastructure

The national hydrogen infrastructure will enable the creation of a hydrogen market in Finland. Gasgrid is tasked with implementing the hydrogen infrastructure and building a hydrogen market platform in Finland. We will bring together actors in the hydrogen economy and accelerate the creation of the hydrogen economy.

The hydrogen economy will bring about new investments and jobs, as well as improve energy independence and security of supply. This will improve Finland’s competitiveness and provide us with sustainable wellbeing nationwide.

Aiming for a national hydrogen infrastructure

The hydrogen infrastructure will enable the cost-effective, large-scale transmission of hydrogen. In addition to hydrogen transmission, the pipeline will also enable the balancing of production and consumption, as well as short-term storage. The development of the hydrogen transmission infrastructure supports the sector integration of Finland’s energy system, i.e. the integration of industry, transport and heating via electricity, district heating and gas networks. This will give the energy system efficiency, flexibility and resilience.

Gasgrid’s goal is for the completion of an extensive hydrogen infrastructure in the 2030s.

National hydrogen infrastructure planning in cooperation with regions and industry

Regions and industrial actors will be closely involved in the planning of the national hydrogen infrastructure. Going forward, Gasgrid will utilise a regional development model that focuses on regional actors, regional needs and that benefits from regional strengths.

The regional development model enables regional needs and strengths to be taken into account, the simultaneous development of the hydrogen infrastructure across the country, the active involvement of stakeholders in the development of the regional hydrogen economy, and the model can also deliver the most appropriate and cost-effective connection in each region.

Regional model responds to local needs

By involving regional actors in hydrogen development from the outset, the evolving infrastructure and hydrogen market platform will meet their needs and aspirations.

As the infrastructure develops, Gasgrid will provide, among other things, connections to the regional hydrogen infrastructure, hydrogen transmission and storage services and, above all, a safe hydrogen pipeline solution. The services and operating methods will be similar to Finland’s current methane transmission network, for which Gasgrid is the operator with system responsibility.

Hydrogen valleys create regional hydrogen economies

The regional model highlights the role of hydrogen valleys in the development of Finland’s hydrogen economy. A hydrogen valley refers to a network of regional actors representing different actors in the hydrogen economy value chain. The infrastructure will also enable hydrogen storage and serve a wide range of actors in the hydrogen value chain.

Going forward, individual hydrogen valleys will be integrated into the national hydrogen infrastructure and also link up with larger development projects such as the Nordic Hydrogen Route, Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector and the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor.

Development of the hydrogen transmission infrastructure also supports the sector integration of the Finnish energy system, bringing efficiency and flexibility to the energy system.

Routing discussions and market development forums

Regional actors will be involved in the development of the hydrogen economy on the basis of a market study commissioned by Gasgrid. Regional actors are being consulted and involved in routing and development forum discussions, for example.

Active engagement in the development of the national hydrogen infrastructure will accelerate the development of regional hydrogen valleys and in turn economic growth, and enable actors to influence their own development schedule.

Routing discussions

Routing discussions in the regions will evaluate route alternatives for the national hydrogen infrastructure on a detailed map basis, and examine the alternatives from the aspects of land use and land use planning.

The first phase of the routing discussions will be conducted on the basis of the market consultation and PCI policy. At a later stage, discussions will be held with a wider range of municipalities and companies in the hydrogen sector. In addition to route discussions, municipalities will have an opportunity to submit feedback related to land use and land use planning in an online survey.

Market development forums

Gasgrid will also launch market development platforms enabling the hydrogen economy, with the aim of promoting investments in the hydrogen economy, streamlining project development and enabling information exchange between different stakeholders.

We are exploring options for national hydrogen infrastructure and hydrogen transmission needs in Finland and the Baltic Sea region

We are currently exploring alternatives for the national hydrogen infrastructure and hydrogen transmission needs in Finland and the Baltic Sea region. Part of our development work includes continuously collecting information from our stakeholders. The purpose of our hydrogen market consultation is to determine industry’s interest in joining the hydrogen infrastructure in the future and to assess the development of industrial actors’ projects in relation to infrastructure development needs.

The hydrogen market consultation is open to all industrial actors and project developers in the hydrogen market. The consultation asks actors to provide information on the location of potential hydrogen projects, the need for hydrogen transmission and storage, and the development schedule of the projects.

The consultation will enable the hydrogen infrastructure to be developed to respond to the needs of actors, and Gasgrid can contribute to Finland’s industrial actors utilising renewable energy and creating new innovative solutions.

Hydrogen information package for market participants

The hydrogen information package aims to address the market’s information needs regarding the development of the Finnish hydrogen network and the framework for accessing and operating within the network. The information package includes Gasgrid’s current view of market developments, the principles of network connection, and the market model for hydrogen pipeline transmission. In addition, the package facilitates the collection of feedback from market participants on market needs for network operation and market rules and supports market dialogue already in the early stages of market formation.

The first information package brings together general views on the development of the hydrogen network in Finland and more broadly in the Baltic Sea region and the European Union. The package sheds light on the hydrogen infrastructure development process, the cooperation-based commitment process, the technical design principles of the transmission infrastructure, routing and licensing processes, the principles of network connection, and the market model for hydrogen pipeline transmission, as well as the emission targets set in the EU’s hydrogen and gas carbon dioxide emission reduction package.

The information package will be updated approximately one to two times a year. Future packages will further explore selected topics, such as developments in EU and national legislation, including network codes, and share lessons learned from the European market.

Gasgrid invites market participants to join the dialogue to shape the future of hydrogen network operations and pave the way for well-functioning hydrogen market rules. Regulatory authorities, investors, municipal actors, and other stakeholders are also key participants in the dialogue.