HY4Link: integrated cross-border hydrogen infrastructure project to accelerate decarbonisation in Belgium, Luxembourg, France, and Germany

Creos Luxembourg, Fluxys hydrogen in Belgium, and GRTgaz in France announce the inclusion of the cross-border hydrogen infrastructure project HY4Link in the European hydrogen network development plan, a first step to become Project of Common Interest. In the light of this announcement, the partners have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to intensify their cross-border hydrogen infrastructure cooperation.

With HY4Link, the project partners will conduct feasibility studies, after assessing consumption and transit needs, on an integrated cross-border hydrogen transport system in the Greater Region. This visionary initiative proposes to link Belgium, Luxembourg, the Grand Est region in France, and the federal state of Saarland in Germany, forming a central part of the European hydrogen infrastructure.

HY4Link is strategically designed to connect industrial hydrogen demand clusters in France, Germany, and Luxembourg with green hydrogen supply centres along the North Sea coast and import hubs in Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, and Dunkirk. The project aims to contribute significantly to the development of an efficient hydrogen infrastructure as key part of a decarbonised energy ecosystem. Moreover, the project will foster decentralized green hydrogen production across the Greater Region by providing the necessary hydrogen transport infrastructure.

For the France-Luxembourg part of HY4Link, Creos Luxembourg and GRTgaz will jointly investigate the possibility to develop an interconnected network running from Bouzonville (FR) to Frisange in the south of Luxembourg via Thionville, connecting to the mosaHYc project. The cross-border link between France and Luxembourg will be a starting point for establishing a hydrogen infrastructure in the south of Luxembourg.

For the Belgium-Luxembourg part of HY4Link, a potential pipeline connection will be considered in cooperation between Creos and Fluxys hydrogen to connect Luxembourg to the Belgium Hydrogen Backbone via the border crossing point in Bras (BE). This will be complemented by the construction of a hydrogen pipeline across Luxembourg to France and Germany, bolstered by GRTgaz' intention to build a new pipeline from Thionville to Cerville to connect H2Med corridor and a regional hydrogen storage project.

Pascal De Buck, Managing Director and CEO of Fluxys: “Creating cross-border interconnected networks is key to develop optimum diversity and security of hydrogen supply. The HY4Link project marks another step into making Belgium a hydrogen import and transit hub for Northwest-Europe.”

Sandrine Meunier, CEO of GRTgaz: “HY4Link will contribute to the development of a regional hydrogen economy and offer local industrial customers access to a competitive renewable hydrogen to accelerate their decarbonisation.”

Laurence Zenner, CEO of Creos Luxembourg, emphasized the importance of HY4Link, stating, "By linking industrial demand clusters with green hydrogen producers along the North Sea coast, HY4Link will play a pivotal role for the decarbonization efforts in Luxembourg and the Greater Region.”

The project is in line with the partners’ vision of a decarbonised energy landscape and underscores their dedication to actively drive the transformation of the economy and society in the Greater Region. HY4Link will not only facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions across multiple sectors such as industry and transport, but also create sustainable job opportunities that contribute to the long-term prosperity of the region.

Link to project website: www.creos.net/hy4link

HY4Link is a 230 km hydrogen network project that aims to be commissioned between 2030 and 2035.

About Creos Luxembourg

Creos Luxembourg S.A. (Creos) is operator of electricity and natural gas networks across Luxembourg. Its mission is to ensure the transportation and distribution of energy via these networks at transparent tariffs and facilitate the energy transition for its customers. This commitment is upheld equally for all suppliers and in line with the company’s obligation to public service and environmental protection. Beyond the efficient management of our infrastructure, Creos actively works to foster closer cooperation at a regional level, bridging markets and facilitating smoother operations. Our day-to-day operations are guided by principles of respect, team spirit, commitment and excellence. With a workforce of 888 employees, Creos oversees a vast network spanning over 12,250 kilometers of electricity lines and more than 2,200 kilometers of gas pipes.

Further information: www.creos.net

Press contact: Creos Communication: +352 2624 8777 • communication@creos.net

About GRTgaz

GRTgaz is France's primary gas transmission system operator and the second biggest in Europe. The Group has two subsidiaries: Elengy – the European leader in LNG terminals, and GRTgaz Deutschland, which operates the MEGAL network. In line with its mission statement – “Together, we enable an energy future that is safe, affordable and climate neutral” – GRTgaz has a public service mission, ensuring the safety of gas transmission for its 865 clients (biomethane producers, shippers, industrial companies, electricity power plants and distributors).

GRTgaz is committed to achieving net zero and is adapting its network to new ecological and digital challenges; it supports the development of low-carbon hydrogen and renewable gas sectors (biomethane and gas from solid and liquid waste). It also transports waste CO₂ for the purposes of decarbonising the industrial sector. Key figures: 32,600 km of pipes, 625 TWh of gas transported, 3,300 employees, €2.1 billion in turnover generated in 2023 (€2.6 billion at Group level).

Find out more at: www.grtgaz.com

Press contacts GRTgaz

Territorial press contact: Sylvie Antonini - Tel. +33 (0)7 60 53 33 10 - sylvie.antonini@grtgaz.com

National press contact: Valentine Leduc - Tel. +33 (0)7 64 78 26 47 - valentine.leduc@grtgaz.com

About Fluxys hydrogen

Fluxys hydrogen is the hydrogen network operator in Belgium. We plan, develop and operate the open-access hydrogen network in Belgium to support society and industry in its efforts to make the transition to a low-carbon tomorrow. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Fluxys Belgium, together with the Fluxys group, we are putting our backbone into our joint ambition to offer customers the capacity to transport 30 TWh of hydrogen a year by 2030.

www.fluxyshydrogen.com