Germany launches seabed surveys for AquaDuctus offshore hydrogen pipeline

AquaDuctus Pipeline GmbH, a subsidiary of GASCADE Gastransport, began the ground‑investigation phase for the planned offshore hydrogen import pipeline in the German North Sea. Geotechnical and geophysical surveys started in the week of 20 July 2026 around the island of Norderney and the coastal area of Hilgenriedersiel in Lower Saxony, using mainly non‑intrusive methods with limited targeted sampling.

The pipeline, the only offshore hydrogen project currently planned for Germany, will link offshore wind‑generated green hydrogen – notably from the SEN‑1 renewable area – to the German mainland. When complete, it is designed to transport up to one million tonnes of hydrogen per year from 2035, forming a core component of Germany’s 9,040‑km hydrogen core network approved by the Federal Network Agency in October 2024. The project carries IPCEI and Project of Common Interest status and receives funding from the German federal government and the state of Lower Saxony.