Worley has been awarded a five-year engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) services contract by Energinet to develop Phase 1 of the Danish Hydrogen Backbone, a project central to Denmark’s strategy to become a European leader in green energy.

The project aims to establish a national hydrogen transmission network, providing a critical link between Denmark’s large-scale wind and solar-driven green hydrogen production and industrial markets in Germany and the broader European Union.

The Danish government announced last February that it would invest over $2billion in the cross-border hydrogen pipeline, which is expected to be operational by 2030. 

Under the current terms of the agreement, Worley will oversee the development of approximately 130 kilometres of pipeline infrastructure. 

This includes the construction of 41 kilometres of new hydrogen-specific pipeline and the repurposing of 89 kilometres of existing natural gas pipelines to carry hydrogen. 

The contract also covers the delivery of adjacent infrastructure necessary to stabilize and monitor the network.

Jan Narvestad, Worley’s Senior Vice President for the Nordics, characterized the agreement as a "milestone" for European energy security.

"We are proud that Energinet has chosen Worley to help deliver such a critical part of energy infrastructure," Narvestad said. 

"Danish Hydrogen Backbone pipeline is exactly the type of project where we can make an important contribution to the green transition—safely, collaboratively and at scale."

The project will be managed from Denmark, utilizing a global delivery model. Worley’s local Nordic teams will lead the effort, supported by technical specialists from the United Kingdom and India.

The transition from natural gas to hydrogen is a technical challenge that requires specialized materials and engineering to prevent leakage and embrittlement. 

By converting existing gas lines, Energinet aims to reduce both the environmental footprint and the capital expenditure of the project, while accelerating the timeline for Denmark’s decarbonization goals.

Once operational, the backbone is expected to strengthen regional energy independence by integrating intermittent renewable energy sources into a reliable, transportable fuel source for heavy industry across the continent.

Meanwhile, Energent, the pipeline developer, has already opened the first capacity sales for the nation’s first hydrogen pipeline to secure market commitments ahead of its planned operation in 2030.