The final report of the Hydrogen Bridges I research project conducted by our network partner Kehl University of Applied Sciences has been published. It deals with legal issues relating to cross-border hydrogen networks in the Upper and High Rhine regions.

How can the rapid expansion of cross-border hydrogen transport infrastructure between Germany and France be achieved? What legal framework conditions need to be taken into account and how can efficient cross-border procedural coordination be organized?

The study focused on the Fessenheim–Bad Krozingen and Strasbourg–Kehl network connection points. The results show that different planning and approval procedures on the German and French sides can significantly complicate cross-border network expansion. However, there is potential for acceleration in the mutual recognition and provision of procedural documents, such as the implementation of a joint environmental impact assessment. Close coordination between authorities and project developers is therefore crucial. The full report can be found in the link under “Details.”

The study makes a practical contribution by identifying for the first time the specific legal and administrative challenges involved in the construction and operation of cross-border hydrogen pipelines. It thus creates immediate added value for the relevant stakeholders in the Upper Rhine region and opens up prospects for simplified procedures and possible content for a future international treaty.

The research project continues with Wasserstoffbrücken II, which deals with the legal framework for cross-border links between hydrogen transport infrastructures in Germany and Switzerland in a comparable context.