Public Consultation Launched for Hydrogen Pipeline in Latvia; Meeting in Bauska on August 17
Latvia's gas transmission operator Conexus Baltic Grid is holding an initial public consultation from July 28 to September 1 on the planned hydrogen pipeline. The project is part of the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor, linking Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany.
Conexus Baltic Grid (Conexus) has initiated an initial public consultation for the construction of a hydrogen pipeline in Latvia. The consultation runs from July 28 to September 1 this year. During this period, in-person meetings will be held in ten municipalities along the proposed pipeline route. One such meeting is scheduled for August 17 at 5:00 PM in the Bauska Municipality Council chamber.
The initial consultation is the first stage where residents, landowners, and local authorities can submit proposals for further project study. The current research area includes 1,773 land parcels or parts thereof. The exact pipeline alignment will be refined during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report preparation and later in the design phase.
The hydrogen pipeline is planned to be built parallel to the existing natural gas transmission pipeline, making maximum use of the existing infrastructure corridor. The Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor is a cross-border energy initiative aiming to create a regional hydrogen transmission backbone linking Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany. The pipeline's length in Latvia is estimated at approximately 270–280 kilometers, depending on the chosen route and connection point with Estonia.
Project development began in 2024 with a pre-feasibility study analyzing technical, economic, and regulatory conditions. The current detailed study and planning phase is expected to last until 2027. This phase has secured €6.8 million in co-financing from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). Construction is projected to start around 2029, with commissioning planned after 2033.
The project has been granted the European Commission's Projects of Common Interest status. It involves six gas transmission system operators: Elering (Estonia), Conexus Baltic Grid (Latvia), Amber Grid AB (Lithuania), GAZ-SYSTEM (Poland), ONTRAS Gastransport (Germany), and Gasgrid vetyverkot Oy (Finland).
