Six Companies Sign Intent Letters for Denmark-Germany Hydrogen Pipeline Project

Six unnamed companies have signed Letters of Intent with Danish state-owned transmission system operator Energinet to explore capacity reservations on the planned Danish Hydrogen Backbone 1 (DHB1) pipeline, according to an announcement by the German-Danish Chamber of Commerce on April 29, 2026.

The DHB1 project will transport green hydrogen from offshore-wind-powered electrolysis facilities in Esbjerg, Denmark, to Germany's industrial regions via a 133 km pipeline corridor. The route comprises 88 km of repurposed natural gas infrastructure and 45 km of new steel pipe, designed to operate at 50–100 bar pressure.

Energinet has been offering pipeline capacity through its Prisma platform since January 2026, with available throughput between 2.7 and 3.6 GW. However, the project requires at least 0.5 GW of firm bookings to proceed. The pipeline is projected to deliver approximately 240,000 tonnes of CO₂-free hydrogen annually to industrial sectors including steel, chemicals, and heavy transport.

The project originally targeted a 2028 startup but was delayed to 2031 following funding and demand concerns in late 2024. Current timelines anticipate construction beginning in late 2027 pending additional offtake commitments by mid-2026.

The DHB1 corridor aligns with Germany's 2020 National Hydrogen Strategy, which targets 10 GW of domestic electrolyser capacity and 10 GW of imports by 2030. The project holds EU PCI and IPCEI status, enabling expedited permitting and state support. Denmark has allocated DKK 7.5 billion in loans and DKK 10.6 billion in subsidies for its hydrogen backbone segments.

Originally reported by Hydrogen Fuel News. Read the full article →