Gasunie in Groningen will invest 7 billion euros in the energy transition until 2030. The concern, which wants to transform itself from a gas transportation company into a sustainable energy infrastructure company, wants to use the mega investment to contribute to the achievement of the climate goals of the Netherlands, Germany and the EU, according to the annual report published today.
“As a sustainable energy infrastructure company, we have to invest in the market so that our infrastructure is ready for the future energy system. In thirty years’ time, our networks will transport green hydrogen, green gas, heat and CO₂ which the market and society demand”, says Han Fennema, CEO of Gasunie.
One of the larger investments, 1.5 billion euros, in the coming years is the development of a national transport network for hydrogen, the hydrogen backbone. To this end, existing gas pipes, which are no longer in use, are being adapted for the transport of hydrogen. The backbone could already be ready in 2026, says Gasunie. Large companies in particular are connected to this network so they can get rid of natural gas and reduce their CO2 emissions.
The investments and transformation are necessary, says Gasunie, if the Netherlands and Germany want to become climate neutral by 2050. About 30 to 50 percent of the energy supply in 2050 will consist of molecules in a gaseous state. Here you can store energy cheaply and transport it over greater distances.
