Hydrogen is key to the European energy transition, and gas distribution companies across Europe are an essential part of the chain for rapid hydrogen development.

Ready4H2 is a project that coordinates the hydrogen expertise and experiences across 61 European gas distribution companies and national gas associations to create a common understanding of how distribution networks can help realise the huge growth potential and deliver the carbon reduction potential of hydrogen utilisation.

For decades European gas distributors have shown the ability to deliver cost-effective and safe gas distribution and have gained extensive knowledge and experience that can contribute to the transformation of Europe's clean energy infrastructure.

The European gas distribution grids provide an opportunity to accelerate decarbonisation of the energy and industrial sectors whilst ensuring energy system resilience, increased energy independence and security of supply across Europe.

Since late 2021, the Ready4Hydrogen project works under three pillars:

1. Gas distribution companies’ hydrogen knowledge: collect experiences and knowledge in European gas distribution companies on hydrogen projects and hydrogen infrastructure; investigate how DSOs are involved in their country’s hydrogen developments; and assess how far the countries’ hydrogen strategies have evolved.
2. How can the gas distributors contribute to the hydrogen value chain: The second analysis will build upon the first analysis by analysing how the European gas distributors can contribute to the hydrogen development. The gas distributors’ experiences and knowledge will be analysed and converted into value propositions for the hydrogen value chain. Not just hydrogen experience but also the gas distribution companies’ unique positions and contribution to strategic land planning.
3. Assess the status of DSOs across Europe in their transformation towards hydrogen delivery, based on the Roadmap developed in phases 1 and 2. A report will be compiled to demonstrated how advanced the gas distribution companies are transforming Europe’s primary hydrogen distribution infrastructure. Technical and regulators barriers will be identified, as well as opportunities for gas distribution operators to transform to hydrogen pipeline distributor.