Germany’s Hydrogen Backbone & the Long Shadow of Russian Gas - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica critically examines Germany’s recent conversion of a major natural gas pipeline into a hydrogen pipeline, challenging the narrative that this represents a clean break toward a hydrogen economy. The pipeline segment in question is about 400 km long, running from Lubmin on the Baltic coast to Bobbau in Saxony-Anhalt, with a diameter and capacity matching the EUGAL pipeline corridor. EUGAL, commissioned in 2020 to transport Russian Nord Stream gas through Germany, was a €2.6 billion investment and remains largely depreciated, meaning that most of its capital costs are still being recovered. Thus, the hydrogen conversion appears less like a new greenfield project and more like a repurposing of recent, expensive infrastructure originally designed for Russian natural gas. The article situates this infrastructure decision within Germany’s long-standing political and economic strategy of relying heavily on Russian pipeline gas for industrial competitiveness, supply security, and price stability. Despite multiple geopolitical shocks—including conflicts involving Ukraine and Russia’s