Germany’s GET H2 initiative has achieved a significant milestone after renewable hydrogen produced in Lingen was successfully transported to the Marl Chemical Park, demonstrating the first integrated operation of large-scale hydrogen production, pipeline transport and industrial use within the project.
The hydrogen is being produced during the commissioning of RWE’s two 100 MW electrolysers in Lingen, Lower Saxony, and delivered through a 120-kilometre hydrogen pipeline network operated by transmission system operators OGE, Nowega, and SYNEQT, an Evonik subsidiary. The renewable hydrogen is now available for industrial processes at Evonik’s chemical complex in Marl.
The achievement marks the first time that all major elements of the GET H2 Nukleus project—electrolysis, hydrogen transport infrastructure and industrial offtake—have operated together under real conditions.
The project is one of Germany’s flagship hydrogen initiatives and forms part of the Hy2Infra Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) programme, supported by the German federal government and the states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
RWE is currently commissioning 200 MW of electrolysis capacity in Lingen, with the facility expected to expand to 300 MW by 2027. The plant will produce RFNBO-compliant renewable hydrogen, allowing industrial customers to use certified green hydrogen to support their decarbonisation targets.
Beyond demonstrating hydrogen production, the project is also validating critical elements needed for Germany’s future hydrogen market, including pipeline operations, network access, capacity allocation and balancing mechanisms.
The hydrogen pipelines used in the project are among the first sections of Germany’s planned national hydrogen backbone, which is being developed to connect renewable hydrogen production with industrial demand centres.
Further infrastructure is already under development. A new pipeline linking Heek and Epe has been completed to connect future hydrogen storage facilities, while RWE Gas Storage West plans to begin filling what is expected to become Europe’s first commercial hydrogen cavern storage facility at the end of 2026. Commercial operation is scheduled to begin in mid-2027.
Additional pipeline conversions and new connections are also planned to extend hydrogen supplies to more industrial customers, including a hydrogen link between Legden and Dorsten, a new pipeline to Marl, and an already completed connection between the Marl Chemical Park and the Gelsenkirchen-Scholven refinery.
Launched in 2019, the GET H2 initiative brings together more than 50 companies, research organisations, municipalities and industry associations to develop Germany’s hydrogen economy. The initiative covers the full hydrogen value chain—from renewable hydrogen production and storage to transport and industrial applications—with the goal of accelerating the country’s transition to a low-carbon energy system.
The successful delivery of renewable hydrogen from Lingen to Marl represents an important step in demonstrating that integrated green hydrogen infrastructure can operate at industrial scale, supporting the decarbonisation of Germany’s energy-intensive industries while laying the foundations for a future national hydrogen market.