Czech-German and Central European Hydrogen Corridors Re-confirmed as EU Projects of Common Interest

The Czech-German Hydrogen Interconnector (CGHI) and Central European Hydrogen Corridor (CEHC) projects, including their Czech sections "Czech Hydrogen Backbone WEST" and "Czech Hydrogen Backbone NORTH", have once again been included on the EU list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI). This confirms the key role of NET4GAS in the development of cross-border energy infrastructure and the building of a low-emission gas market in Central Europe.

"We see the inclusion of both projects on the PCI list as an important confirmation of their strategic significance. At the same time, it is a clear signal that the transformation of gas infrastructure towards low-emission gases – including hydrogen – can significantly contribute to strengthening energy security and meeting climate goals," said Lenka Krausová, Director of the H2 Readiness Programme.

Thanks to its location in the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic has the potential to become a natural crossroads for future hydrogen flows – both from planned hydrogen sources and towards growing demand centres in Central Europe. It is precisely this strong international and cross-border dimension that is one of the reasons why NET4GAS projects were included on the PCI list: they strengthen the interconnection of European hydrogen infrastructure, contribute to market integration, energy security in the region, and to meeting European decarbonisation goals.

Projects on this list can benefit from simplified permitting processes and have access to potential financial support from European instruments, including the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) grant programme.

The "WEST" project involves creating infrastructure for hydrogen transmission between the Czech Republic and Germany, with the aim of bringing hydrogen from northern Germany, Scandinavia, and the North and Baltic Sea areas to the Czech Republic and further to southern Germany. The "NORTH" project will connect the future Czech hydrogen transmission network in the west with the German network and in the southeast with the Slovak hydrogen transmission network, through which hydrogen from Ukraine, the Balkan Peninsula, or North Africa could in the future be transported to Central and Western Europe.

In addition, both projects will enable the supply of demand centres in the Czech Republic along the entire length of the corridors, particularly the expected hydrogen cluster in northern Bohemia.

More about NET4GAS hydrogen projects can be found here.

Contact for media:

David Hořínek

Mobile: +420 737 250 855 

E-mail: david.horinek@net4gas.cz