Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Uniper Forge Hydrogen Partnership

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), via its Energy Transition Fund, and Uniper have entered into a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in transporting green hydrogen from CIP's HØST PtX Esbjerg project to Germany.

The collaboration between CIP and Uniper, a prominent global energy trader and one of the largest electricity producers worldwide, aims to facilitate cooperation regarding the generation, transportation, and promotion of green hydrogen from the HØST PtX Esbjerg project, situated on the Danish West Coast, to Germany.

By the end of 2028, it is anticipated that HØST will link with the German hydrogen network through a newly constructed hydrogen pipeline extending from Denmark to Germany. This initiative is spearheaded by the Danish transmission system operator Energinet, in collaboration with Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services. Such connectivity will facilitate the supply of green hydrogen to consumption points in Germany, contributing to the availability of competitively priced green hydrogen in the German market.

Working together, CIP and Uniper plan to provide customers in Germany with up to 140,000 tons of green hydrogen each year. Uniper aims to incorporate green hydrogen from HØST into its portfolio of sustainable gas offerings, catering to the diverse flexibility requirements and contract durations of industrial clients.

Holger Kreetz, Uniper's COO, expressed optimism about the collaboration, citing significant potential. He emphasized that HØST aligns with Uniper's strategic objective of attaining a minimum of 1 GW installed electrolyser capacity by 2030, complementing their other electrolyser projects in Germany, such as Green Wilhelmshaven. Kreetz highlighted Uniper's diverse hydrogen portfolio, encompassing multiple supply sources to ensure competitive and reliable provisions that meet customer requirements.

Karsten Plauborg, a Partner at CIP, underscored the significance of this milestone for both CIP and the HØST PtX Esbjerg initiative. He expressed enthusiasm about leveraging the abundant renewable energy resources available in the North Sea, coupled with the forthcoming hydrogen pipeline linking Denmark and Germany, to advance the delivery of green hydrogen from the HØST project to customers in Germany. Plauborg highlighted CIP's extensive portfolio of power-to-gas projects, emphasizing that Uniper's robust presence among German energy clientele plays a pivotal role in establishing this emerging market.

Established in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S (CIP) has evolved into the premier fund manager specializing in greenfield renewable energy investments worldwide, particularly excelling in offshore wind projects. CIP-managed funds prioritize investments across various sectors, including offshore and onshore wind, solar PV, biomass, energy-from-waste, transmission and distribution, reserve capacity, storage, advanced bioenergy, and Power-to-X technologies.

The HØST PtX Esbjerg project represents a pioneering Power-to-X initiative in Denmark, currently in its developmental phase. This ambitious project aims to implement large-scale electrolysis technology, operating at a gigawatt scale, for the production of green hydrogen. Sourced entirely from renewable energy, HØST PtX Esbjerg plans to generate up to 140,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, primarily targeting utilization in the chemicals industry, with a significant focus on the German market.