OGE in Europe
Open Grid Europe — our name says it all
As a transmission system operator in the heart of Europe, we play a special role. With our network interconnection points and direct borders with nine neighbouring countries, we are an indispensable part of a secure energy supply in Europe. This is true today with our 12,000-kilometer transmission network — the largest in Germany — and will remain so in the future with the hydrogen core network and the expansion of the German Carbon Transport Grid.
Katharina Raub, Head of the Brussels Office
“Close, direct communication with Commission representatives, Members of the European Parliament, and our project partners is essential for ensuring that OGE’s interests are incorporated into the political process at an early stage. This is something I am fully committed to — together with Team OGE.”
Our role in the EU
We are a key player in Europe’s energy transition. With our transmission network and interconnection points, we make a crucial contribution to the security of the German and European energy supply, both now and in the future.
The gradual conversion of our gas pipelines and the construction of new hydrogen pipelines are a mammoth task that can only be accomplished with the help of our partners. Together, we advocate in Brussels for the realization of our projects.
OGE is also a pioneer in pipeline-based transportation of CO2. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a key technology for the decarbonization of European industry on the path towards climate neutrality.
Bijan Glander
“Our pipeline network is closely integrated with adjacent infrastructure and forms a central component of the European energy system. Against this backdrop, we are committed to close cooperation among all market players in Europe and are actively involved in various committees, alliances and associations. We contribute to the development and harmonization of regulations and standards at the EU level, thereby laying the foundation for a competitive internal market for hydrogen.”
Through forward-thinking action, political engagement and trusting partnerships, we are helping to strengthen Europe’s energy security today and in the future. For us, energy is about more than just transporting molecules; it is based on close cooperation across borders.
Our infrastructure is the path to the future, in Germany and across Europe.
What do we want to achieve in Europe?
The European Union is rooted in energy and industrial policy. Today, the internal energy market is more closely interconnected than ever before – which is where we come in, working together with our European partners to build the energy network of the future. The tradition continues as we move molecules across borders and work actively and purposefully to build the European hydrogen network. Numerous projects and import corridors are set to supply the German core network with hydrogen in the future, calling for technical expertise, foresight, vision, and pragmatic implementation — all of which OGE can provide.
With our office in Brussels, Europe’s capital, we share our technical expertise with industry associations and political decision-makers and advocate for market- and business-friendly regulatory frameworks.
Oliver Altenhoff
“We are working to expand the hydrogen infrastructure in Germany. This requires import corridors that can deliver sufficient hydrogen at competitive prices and on time. The European Commission needs to establish a regulatory framework that accelerates the production and consumption of hydrogen as the market develops — because only this way can we secure the supply of hydrogen for industries across Europe and lay the groundwork for a functioning hydrogen market.”
The field of CO2 transportation is also hugely important to us and to European industry with an eye on achieving climate goals. Both we, as a transmission system operator, and Germany, as a transit country, have a special responsibility in this regard. For a long time, political decision-making meant that CO2 storage and transport were not legally possible in Germany, but the Carbon Dioxide Storage and Transport Act (Kohlendioxid-Speicherung-und-Transport-Gesetz, KSpTG) has changed this framework. We are working with international partners from Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark on numerous projects to jointly develop European CO2 infrastructure.
Martin Frings
“OGE is a pioneer in the transport of CO2 via pipeline. CCS is a key technology for decarbonizing European industry on the path to climate neutrality.”
Lukas Reichenberger
„The development of CO₂ infrastructure presents long-term opportunities but also ties up capital. The role of regulation is to create a stable and trustworthy framework for this – something we are working on together with industry, policymakers and government agencies.“
To this end, we are active – particularly through our European associations – in calling for the European Commission and the European Parliament to establish a sound regulatory framework that promotes the development of the European hydrogen economy and facilitates the establishment of a market for the transport and storage of CO2.