
OGE Starts Construction of the “Nordsee-Ruhr-Link I” Hydrogen Pipeline
The transmission system operator Open Grid Europe GmbH (OGE) plans to build the Nordsee-Ruhr-Links I (NRL I) from Wilhelmshaven to Dykhausen. The project was presented to the public for the first time. The 21 km long pipeline with a pipe diameter of 1400 mm and 100 bar pressure is part of the hydrogen core grid approved by the German government and the Federal Network Agency. Completion and commissioning are planned for the end of 2027.
NRL I is part of the Nordsee-Ruhr-Link, which connects the north with the west of Germany via the Wilhelmshaven coastline (WKL). These connecting pipelines are essential for the German hydrogen economy and connect producers and customers along the route. The pipeline section starts at the gas pressure control and measuring station in Wilhelmshaven (Voslapper Groden) and connects to the WKL, which is being built at the same time.
According to Franz-Josef Kißing, technical project manager at OGE, the construction phase is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. A special feature of NRL I is its parallel location to the Wilhelmshavener Anbindungsleitung (WAL), which OGE built in 2022 on behalf of the German government to secure the natural gas supply. “With the construction of the Nordsee-Ruhr-Link, Wilhelmshaven, Friesland and Wittmund are once again making energy history,” says Kißing.
In order to enter into a dialog with the region at an early stage, OGE held a meeting for property owners and a “dialog market” in Jever. Property owners whose land is affected by the pipeline construction were invited. Interested citizens were able to find out about the project at the open “dialog market”. A first planned route was presented there, but this will only be finalized with the planning approval decision.
“We are currently preparing the application documents for the planning approval procedure and plan to submit them this year in order to meet the requirements of the core network,” explains Kißing. Overall, the project team draws a positive conclusion from the event: ”We have had good discussions, answered questions and received valuable information for the further process.”
Source: https://oge.net/de/pressemitteilungen/2025/zentrale-verbindungsleitung-der-wasserstoffwirtschaft-von-nord-nach-west