There is an important signal for security in terms of supply and the hydrogen ramp-up – the EU Commission has gone ahead and added three planned EWE storage projects to the PCI list.
- EWE projects based in Huntorf, Jemgum, and Rüdersdorf get PCI status.
- Status goes on to bring advantages for planning and speed as well as execution.
- Storage is key when it comes to security of supply and industry.
- Politicians have to quickly finalize the framework for storage ramp-up.
The European Commission has gone ahead and added three planned hydrogen storage projects by EWE at Huntorf-Wesermarsch, Jemgum-East Frisia as well as Rüdersdorf sites near to Berlin when it comes to its European list of Projects of Common Interest – PCI. The formal decision was announced on December 01, 2025, at the PCI Days in Brussels. Due to this inclusion, the EU goes on to acknowledge the great energy economic significance of these storage sites pertaining to security of supply and grid stability as well as industrial transformation. For EWE, PCI status is indeed a strategic signal and also a significant intermediate step on the way to an integrated European hydrogen infrastructure. But this expressly does not involve any kind of an investment decision.
Crystal clear advantages for planning, speed as well as implementation
Inclusion in the PCI list not just brings political visibility for the EWE, but it also comes with certain practical advantages. PCI projects benefit due to rapid approval as well as planning procedures, closely coordinated European bonds, and possible funding choices via the Connecting Europe Facility – CEF program. For the storage sites based in Huntorf, Jemgum as well as Rüdersdorf, this means that the next project steps get carried out in a more efficient way and with much greater planning security. This is indeed a plus point in the early project phase, wherein the feasibility, agility, and investment security are of significance.
Relevance in terms of regions and also industry
The storage sites are located across the regions that are anticipated to play a key role in the hydrogen economy in the future. It is well to be noted that the caverns in Huntorf as well as Jemgum are already among the largest energy storage sites located in Germany. Because of its proximity to Berlin, Rüdersdorf is a very important building block so as to supply the growing urban-industrial clusters. Due to conversion to large-scale hydrogen storage facilities, green hydrogen can very well be temporarily stored in line with demand for the future; load peaks could get smoothed out, and the supply when it comes to industrial customers could well be secured, in spite of how volatile generation as well as grid condition are. It is precisely due to this combination of system service as well as locational strength that it has gone on to convince the EU Commission.
Storage systems are undoubtedly the backbone of a functioning hydrogen system
Stefan Dohler, the EWE CEO, goes on to see the expected PCI status as being an important European signal. As per the PCI status, the hydrogen ramp-up in Europe cannot succeed if there is no storage.
Storage systems go on to secure the industrial processes, balance the grids, and also go ahead and create the required agility within the energy system. However, without the dependable framework conditions, investments within the hydrogen projects are going to continue to falter. Competitive electricity prices and practical rules when it comes to the production of green hydrogen – RFNBO has taken place so that electrolyzers are not unnecessarily expensive, and a clear demand impulse has come now.
PCI status goes on to offer a tailwind to move permits as well as the planning processes forward in a much more efficient way. But the fact is that this does not involve any kind of an investment decision. This is due to the fact that the hydrogen storage projects require clear funding along with a financing framework so that investments get incentivized and don’t become the missing link as far as the future hydrogen system is concerned.
All three locations are in an early stage of the project. However, EWE is going ahead and preparing the projects to an extent that central as well as long-term planning steps can get started at an early stage, even if the present framework conditions don’t allow any kind of investment decisions. At the same time, PCI status goes on to confirm the strategic significance that storage has as far as European infrastructure in the long term is concerned.
Framework conditions must help with the ramp-up
In spite of the recognition coming from Brussels, Döhler, the EWE CEO, has urged for urgent action. Clear political decisions are indeed required now for a real storage pickup.
According to Dohler, for a successful storage pile-up, one needs three things, and those are dependable funding as well as a financing framework that enables investments, clear recognition of storage systems being the central source in terms of flexibility without any sort of double grid charges, and also technical infrastructure standards that are practical enough not to stifle the market ramp-up.
The appeal is indeed quite clear that without storage, hydrogen ramp-up does threaten to come to a standstill. The EU Commission is indeed sending quite a strong signal with the PCI nomination; however, the decisive course is going to be set at the national level.
Building block in the complete system: Clean Hydrogen Coastline
The storage facilities are a part of the Clean Hydrogen Coastline programme from the EWE, which networks generation and storage as well as transport across northwest Germany. These go on to include a 320-megawatt hydrogen production plant, which EWE at present is building in Emden, which is in East Frisia. This also includes the first large-scale hydrogen cavern, which the EWE is at present converting for hydrogen storage in Huntorf, a gas storage site. Besides this, a pipeline infrastructure is getting built as part of the German hydrogen core network when it comes to the transport of hydrogen, which is going to connect generation plants and storage facilities as well as consumers. This kind of systemic approach, which plans generation and grids as well as storage in tandem, is also recommended by studies like the current Fraunhofer white paper.
