Power plant operating without hydrogen fuel source?
Hydrogen Pipeline Development in Lausitz Region Progresses, but Remains Emerging
As of mid-2025, hydrogen pipeline construction and related infrastructure development in the Lausitz region, Germany, is progressing but still emerging as part of broader hydrogen and green energy projects in eastern Germany, including Lausitz and nearby areas.
The Lausitz region, known for its optimal infrastructure for hydrogen power plants, has been exemplary in its coal phase-out. The Cottbus-based energy company Leag, one of the second-largest German power generators, is planning to exit coal-fired power generation by 2038.
EnBW reported plans to convert natural gas pipelines and build additional hydrogen pipelines totaling 1,630 km in northern Germany (Lubmin/Rostock region), but no direct mention of Lausitz pipelines specifically. Meanwhile, Energiequelle GmbH and partners are actively developing green energy projects in Lausitz, focusing on renewable electricity, battery storage, and hydrogen technology integrations for industrial sites like Schwarze Pumpe.
However, there is no explicit, direct mention in the recent public documents or press releases of a fully operational or under-construction dedicated hydrogen pipeline network specifically in the Lausitz region itself as of August 2025. EnBW's significant hydrogen pipeline buildout is currently focused on northern Germany. In Lausitz, efforts target integrating green power and hydrogen technology for industrial sites like Schwarze Pumpe.
The Saxony Banana, intended to supply Leag power plants with hydrogen, has been approved but no investor sees it as profitable yet. Leag is pleased with Minister Reiche's commitment for a gas power plant in the Lausitz region, with the plant to have a capacity of up to 850 megawatts. Sixty percent of the planned hydrogen pipelines will be existing gas pipelines converted to hydrogen.
The hydrogen backbone is being built piecemeal, with 10,000 kilometers of hydrogen pipelines planned in Germany by 2032. By 2030, 3000 megawatts will go offline from Leag's power plant park alone. Minister Katharina Reiche has acknowledged the need for gas power plants in East Germany to ensure supply security and has announced that Schwarze Pumpe in the Lausitz region will be the first in eastern Germany to receive a hydrogen-capable gas power plant. Similar plants are planned at the sites of Lippendorf and Leipheim, with a total capacity of two gigawatts.
These gas power plants are intended to help balance the fluctuating power supply from renewable energies and stabilize Germany's power supply. The Burgenlandkreis in Saxony-Anhalt benefits from a hydrogen pipeline between Profen and Zorbau. A hydrogen pipeline between Profen and Kleindalzig ensures connection to the long-distance pipeline Green Octopus.
In summary, while hydrogen infrastructure development and green energy projects including hydrogen production and usage are underway in or around the Lausitz region, dedicated hydrogen pipeline construction there appears to be at planning or early development stages rather than completed or large-scale operational. The progress in Lausitz is part of a broader national effort to transition to cleaner energy sources and balance the power grid with renewables.
- Despite the advancements in hydrogen pipeline development and green energy projects in the Lausitz region, specific dedicated hydrogen pipelines in the region remain at the planning or early development stages.
- The finance industry plays a crucial role in the development of hydrogen pipelines, as the profitability of projects like the Saxony Banana has yet to attract investors.
- The politics of energytransition are evident in Minister Katharina Reiche's announcement of Schwarze Pumpe in the Lausitz region as the first location in eastern Germany to receive a hydrogen-capable gas power plant, signaling a focus on supply security and the integration of renewables into the energy industry.
