Uniform standards and more clarity on financing mechanisms for pipelines are needed to pave the way for future cross-border hydrogen flows in Europe, according to gas transmission system operators (TSOs).
There are no major technical challenges for development of national and cross-border hydrogen networks, but many regulatory questions have yet to be resolved, TSO representatives told the Hydrogen Days 2026 event in Prague on 11 March.
Standards for hydrogen quality and pressure must be set on an EU level soon to help pipeline operators with their planning, said Czech TSO Net4Gas' head of hydrogen readiness, Lenka Krausova. It also needs to be clear how border flows are measured, Krausova said.
TSOs that are already building national hydrogen networks are developing national solutions at the moment, but eventually rules on quality, pressure and balancing must be covered by EU-wide regimes to facilitate cross-border flows, said Helmie Botter, head of hydrogen transport at Dutch state-owned Gasunie.
Ennoh, the association of hydrogen network operators, will have a key role to play in setting the necessary standards.
The European Commission must set a list of priorities for network codes which Ennoh will then address with its members, the group's director Abel Enriquez said.
Besides quality and pressure standards, Enriquez also highlighted the importance of transparency on available capacities and future hydrogen flows. Ennoh is planning to launch a transparency platform in October, he said.
Another pressing concern is development of a European model for derisking financing of hydrogen networks, Enriquez said.
The hydrogen market is still in a nascent stage and utilisation of future networks is still uncertain, especially in the initial phases, which creates investment risks for TSOs, panellists agreed.
Ennoh launched a consultation on potential derisking options on 10 March. In a draft report, the group reviewed numerous derisking options, concluding that "no single mechanism is sufficient to address the scale and nature of the challenge".
Ennoh has proposed a system that centres around a tariff approach based on inter-temporal cost allocation (ICA) and an amortisation account, combined with a European budget-backed guarantee as a safety mechanism if networks remain underutilised. This would be similar to the approach taken by Germany for its network.
An alternative option would be long-term capacity bookings through a European special purpose vehicle, Ennoh said.
"In the absence of a European-level de-risking framework, there is a material risk that cross-border hydrogen infrastructure will not develop at the pace required to meet Union climate and energy objectives," the group said.
Gasunie's Botter said a derisking instrument on an EU-level would be a "gamechanger" for driving infrastructure projects forward.
Gasunie has so far developed around 100km of its planned hydrogen network, with 70km of repurposed gas pipelines and a new 30km connection, Botter said. She expects first cross-border connections with Germany to become available by the end of 2029 or in 2030.
Germany wants the EU to provide more direct funding for cross-border hydrogen infrastructure, said Gunther Grathwohl, head of division for international hydrogen ramp-up at Germany's economy and energy ministry. Berlin is pushing for this to be introduced as part of the European Grids Package and is hoping for other member states to back these plans, Grathwohl said.
