Greece has taken a significant stride toward bolstering Europe's clean energy infrastructure, with the national gas transmission operator DESFA launching a tender for a new hydrogen pipeline project.

This initiative marks the first concrete step in establishing a crucial link between Greece and Bulgaria, forming a vital component of a broader European network dedicated to transporting clean energy.

Estimated to cost approximately 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million), the proposed 570-kilometre pipeline will originate in Agia Theodori, located in Greece's Corinthia region, and extend to the Bulgarian border. 

The pipeline will transmit pure hydrogen, primarily to the interconnection point with Bulgaria, with two 30MW compressor stations enabling a daily capacity of 80 GWh.

The current tender focuses on the preparation and design study for the project, and is expected to be completed within nine months, with eligibility for the tender restricted to candidates with proven expertise in high-pressure hydrogen infrastructure.

In 2023, the project underwent an initial technical assessment by the European Commission and earned its eligibility for inclusion in a European list of projects of common interest.

According to DESFA, the pipeline will serve as a key element of a European corridor designed to connect regions with high potential for hydrogen production using abundant solar and wind energy, with Central Europe and southern Germany, where significant demand is anticipated by 2030. 

This development further solidifies Greece's role as a vital energy transit route, a position strengthened since the war in Ukraine and subsequent cuts in Russian gas supplies to Europe. 

DESFA plans to integrate this new pipeline into a comprehensive hydrogen network, encompassing both upgraded existing infrastructure and newly constructed routes reaching into Central Europe. 

The hydrogen volumes transported through this new Greek pipeline will connect with a similar planned pipeline in Bulgaria, eventually feeding into the Southeast Hydrogen Corridor to and from Central Europe.