Hamburg: A Hydrogen Hotspot – How Plans Become Pipelines

Hardly any other location in Germany combines as many of the prerequisites for a functioning hydrogen economy as Hamburg. As the largest contiguous industrial area and home to Europe’s largest railway port, the city offers precisely that combination of import, production, transport and consumption which elsewhere would have to be painstakingly built up and interconnected. Added to this are the site of a decommissioned coal-fired power station with an existing grid connection, broad political backing at state level and billions in funding under European IPCEI programmes. It is no coincidence that Hamburg has long been regarded by many in the industry as Germany’s hydrogen capital. But how far has the city actually come on its journey to becoming a model region for the roll-out of hydrogen? 

From coal to hydrogen: the Moorburg transformation 

The most symbolic site of Hamburg’s transformation lies on the southern bank of the Elbe: the site of the former Moorburg hard coal-fired power station. The power station was decommissioned in July 2021 as part of the phase-out of coal and has been undergoing dismantling since 2023. Hamburger Energiewerke acquired the site and, together with its project partner Luxcara, is constructing a large-scale electrolyser with a capacity of 100 MW there. As existing high-voltage connections can continue to be used, the electrolyser can be powered directly by electricity from wind and solar photovoltaic plants. The foundation stone for the Hamburg Green Hydrogen Hub (HGHH) was laid in December 2025. By the end of August 2026, the last of the six PEM modules had arrived on site. However, the plant is not yet operational, as the power supply, water treatment, cooling, compression and hydrogen transfer systems still need to be integrated. Commercial operation is targeted for the second half of 2027. In the long term, the electrolyser is to be expanded to a capacity of up to 800 MW. 

Delivery of the final electrolysis stacks in Hamburg (© Siemens Energy) 

Construction begins on the link between production and transport 

Whilst the final modules are being installed on the electrolyser, another key project is getting under way on the same site: the so-called H2 Connector. This connects the large-scale electrolyser to the nationwide hydrogen core network and the local distribution network, HH-WIN (Hamburg Hydrogen Industry Network). As these networks operate at different pressure levels (up to 70 bar in the long-distance transmission network compared with a maximum of 25 bar in the HH-WIN), the facility comprises a gas pressure regulation system and a compressor station, which handles pressure equalisation in both directions. The H2-Connector also includes a hydrogen injection system, which feeds the locally produced gas from the large-scale electrolyser into the distribution network. This enables Hamburg to import hydrogen from the nationwide network or export surplus, locally produced hydrogen, as required. 

View of the H2 Connector construction site in Moorburg (© Hamburger Energienetze) 

HH-WIN: The distribution network is taking shape 

The H2 Connector thus forms the technical link between the electrolyser, the transmission network and the distribution network. The latter has been under construction by the municipal network operator Hamburger Energienetze GmbH since August 2024. The Hamburg Hydrogen Industry Network (HH-WIN) is being developed around the Port of Hamburg to supply local industrial companies with green hydrogen. The initial plan is for a network spanning around 40 kilometres, which is due to come into operation in autumn 2027. By 2031, the network is set to expand to 60 kilometres. Via a connection point at Leversen, HH-WIN will also be linked to the nationwide core hydrogen network, which spans around 9,000 kilometres. Currently (as of August 2026), just over half of the first 40 kilometres of the distribution network have been completed; all other sections are either under construction or in the process of being put out to tender. 

During construction, Hamburger Energienetze is specifically focusing on repurposing existing natural gas pipelines wherever technically feasible. This helps to save costs and reduce construction work as well as disruption to natural and residential areas. 

HH-WIN network layout (© Hamburger Energienetze) 

Hydrogen in port logistics 

Even before the HH-WIN project is fully operational, the first practical tests for real-world applications are already underway at the port: at the Tollerort Container Terminal, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has been operating a test site for fuel cell prototypes since July 2024 – the first logistics company to do so. The project kicks off with a hydrogen-powered tractor unit, with other vehicle types such as reach stackers and straddle carriers set to follow. Together with the manufacturers, HHLA is developing the relevant models, which have been virtually unavailable until now. The reason for this effort is that purely battery-electric powertrains reach their limits precisely with this type of heavy-duty equipment. This is clearly evident in day-to-day port operations, particularly during round-the-clock three-shift operations, where there is simply no time for recharging, emphasises Karin Debacher of HHLA. 

Debacher sees structural advantages above all in the close industrial and logistical integration of Germany’s largest contiguous industrial area, as well as in the intermodal infrastructure: as Europe’s largest railway port, Hamburg transports around half of its containers by rail – an advantage that can also be utilised in future for hydrogen transport to customers located far from pipelines. 

Hydrogen-powered tractor unit undergoing trial operations at the HHLA container terminal at Burchardkai (© HHLA) 

Hydrogen Pioneer City 

Whether Hamburg can live up to its claim as a hydrogen pioneer city depends largely on whether the ongoing construction projects stay on schedule and the federal government provides the necessary funding for the subsequent roll-out. For experts from industry, logistics and the energy sector, the Hydrogen Technology World Expo in Hamburg in October 2026 offers an opportunity to monitor construction progress on site and exchange views with the project partners. 

Source: 

Hamburger Energienetze 

H2-news.de