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Germany Converts 1980s Pipeline for Green Hydrogen Delivery to TotalEnergies.
By 2025, a 25-km pipeline will deliver green hydrogen from a 30MW facility to the TotalEnergies refinery in Leuna. Discover what this means for the offshore and renewable sectors.
Germany Converts 1980s Pipeline for Green Hydrogen Delivery to TotalEnergies.
Germany is taking another significant step toward building a low-carbon economy by converting a 1980s-era natural gas pipeline into a certified green hydrogen transport route. According to Recharge News, the 25km pipeline will connect a 30MW green hydrogen facility—part of the Bad Lauchstädt Energy Park near Leipzig—to TotalEnergies' refinery in Leuna. Once operations begin at the end of 2025, the project will supply up to 2,700 tonnes of green hydrogen annually.
This isn't just another infrastructure update for professionals in the offshore, subsea, and renewable energy industries—it's a promising signal of growing hydrogen investment that could redefine regional energy logistics and project needs. At SA Operations, we see a clear link between developments like these and the increasing demand for skilled personnel in hydrogen-ready pipeline construction, electrolysis technology, inspection and monitoring, and safe transport of alternative fuels.
What makes this project particularly noteworthy is its practical approach to repurposing existing infrastructure. German gas network operator Ontras, leading the project alongside partners Uniper, Terrawatt, and VNG, disconnected the pipeline from the natural gas grid, reinforced it for hydrogen use, and has completed its first test fill. The result: the line is ready to support test operations and eventually full-scale green hydrogen transport.
The hydrogen will be produced on-site using Sunfire alkaline electrolyzers powered by a wind farm, reinforcing the project's commitment to truly renewable energy. The €210 million final investment decision, made in 2023, reflects Europe's growing willingness to back scalable green hydrogen projects—something many in our network have been waiting to see for years.
The implications are significant. TotalEnergies will be able to phase out the use of grey hydrogen in its refinery processes, replacing it with a cleaner, more sustainable alternative. This also marks the first leg of Ontras' broader 600km contribution to Germany's national hydrogen core network, which will span 9,000km.
As Gunar Schmidt, Managing Director of Operations and Safety at Ontras, put it: "We're demonstrating that a gas pipeline from the 1980s can indeed play an important role in the energy system of the future." And for us at SA Operations, that message resonates. Retrofitting infrastructure will be key to achieving scalable green hydrogen networks—and that requires experienced project managers, subsea engineers, and logistics coordinators ready to bridge the gap between legacy systems and new technologies.
Hydrogen is no longer a far-off ambition—it's quickly becoming central to energy strategies across Europe. For companies and professionals engaged in offshore telecommunications, pipeline trenching, electrolysis systems, and energy logistics, this development is worth watching closely. It also means more opportunities are on the horizon for those with the skills to support these evolving systems.
We'll continue to follow updates on Germany's hydrogen core network and similar projects across Europe and the North Sea. In the meantime, we encourage offshore professionals to explore training in hydrogen technologies and be ready for what's next.
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About SA Operations
SA Operations specializes in recruiting highly skilled professionals for offshore and onshore projects in the Oil and gas, Renewables, and maritime industries. Offering comprehensive recruitment, head-hunting, and payroll solutions, the company delivers specialized talent for projects ranging from subsea operations to renewable energy development. SA Operations is committed to providing industry-leading solutions and ensuring seamless project execution for clients across the globe.
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