Germany Advances 100-Km Hydrogen Pipeline After Land-Access Agreement

Thyssengas H2 GmbH, Open Grid Europe GmbH (OGE) and the Westphalian-Lippe Agricultural Association (WLV) have signed a framework agreement covering land-rights acquisition for the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) section of the planned Emsbüren-Dorsten hydrogen pipeline.

The agreement establishes a common framework for securing the rights required to develop the pipeline and will guide forthcoming discussions between the project developers, landowners and farmers affected by the route.

Landowner Consultations to Begin

The framework agreement sets out guidelines for the rights acquisition process, including the approach to consultations with agricultural landowners. Thyssengas and WLV said the arrangement is intended to provide clarity on the process before individual discussions begin.

“With this agreement, we have reached an important milestone for the project. We value the constructive exchange with the Westphalian-Lippe Agricultural Association. Based on this, we now want to proceed with personal discussions on-site and clearly explain the next steps,” says Hubert Jesolowitz, project manager for the Emsbüren-Dorsten hydrogen pipeline.

Hubertus Beringmeier, President of the Westphalian-Lippe Agricultural Association, said the agreement followed discussions aimed at establishing a framework for the affected farming community.

“The joint framework agreement is the result of constructive and solution-oriented discussions between Thyssengas and the WLV. Our aim was to create the most reliable, fair, and transparent framework possible for the upcoming project for the local farmers. With the framework agreement now reached, we have succeeded in establishing important common guidelines and thus creating a good foundation for further discussions. I am therefore very pleased with the result achieved and that we have been able to secure a clear and reliable basis for the next steps for our members,” explains Hubertus Beringmeier, President of the Westphalian-Lippe Agricultural Association.

Thyssengas plans to hold several information events in November 2026 for landowners and operators affected by the NRW section. The company and WLV will present the framework agreement and outline the next stages of the legal rights acquisition process. Participants will also be able to raise questions with the project team.

100-Kilometre Emsbüren-Dorsten Hydrogen Link

The planned Emsbüren-Dorsten pipeline will extend for approximately 100 kilometres and is targeted for operation in 2030. Thyssengas is developing the project in cooperation with OGE.

The pipeline is intended to connect hydrogen infrastructure planned in the Emsland and Ruhr regions. It forms part of a north-south hydrogen corridor designed to transport hydrogen from the North Sea coast and the Netherlands towards the Ruhr industrial region.

The infrastructure is expected to provide a connection for hydrogen supplies serving industrial users, small and medium-sized enterprises and municipalities.

Thyssengas is currently preparing planning approval documents for the pipeline sections in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. Applications are expected to be submitted in early 2027.