Saxony, Czech Rep to partner on cross-border hydrogen network

The Czech Republic and the German federal state of Saxony have agreed to partner on the development of cross-border hydrogen infrastructure and the use of hydrogen.

Saxony's energy minister Wolfram Guenther, the state's economy minister Martin Dulig and the Czech industry minister Jozef Sikela signed a joint Letter of Intent in Dresden on Thursday, according to a joint statement.

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The partnership includes building a pipeline network for the transport of hydrogen and promoting cooperation and exchange between German and Czech research institutions and companies.

Both the Czech Republic and neighbouring Saxony will seek to convert existing natural gas pipelines to ensure the supply of low-cost hydrogen from Eastern and Southern Europe by 2029, if possible. Important European gas pipelines already run through the Czech Republic and will also be used for hydrogen in the future.

Commenting on the partnership, Dulig said: "With our neighbour the Czech Republic - the Free State's most important European trading partner alongside Poland - we will work towards breaking free from unilateral dependencies and diversifying our energy supply.

"To ensure the success of the economic transformation, hydrogen pipelines should not end at national borders but rather connect economically robust and thriving regions. The Czech long-distance gas pipelines are essential for a reliable Central European hydrogen supply," Dulig added.