The planned transformation of the energy system in the EU and Germany—aiming for climate neutrality by 2050 and 2045, respectively—is leading to a structural decline in the crude oil and petroleum business. At the same time, this decline creates strategic potential for the underground storage of alternative energy carriers at the Rüstringen site.
For the EBV (Petroleum Stockpiling Association) and NWKG, this presents an opportunity to utilize existing crude oil caverns and available salt rights to develop storage infrastructure for alternative energy carriers.
NWKG will provide large-scale underground hydrogen storage facilities designed to pave the way for future hydrogen production and import projects in Northwest Europe and Germany. The project involves repurposing existing oil caverns for hydrogen storage, thereby minimizing investment costs and the carbon footprint. The project also offers the potential to leverage NWKG’s existing expertise to develop new caverns for hydrogen storage.
FEED studies for surface and subsurface facilities have been completed and confirm the project's feasibility. Cost estimates are available, and the first caverns are scheduled to be operational by 2028. The hydrogen will be fed into the German hydrogen core network, which is being integrated into the European Hydrogen Backbone. Companies from various EU member states will be able to book storage capacity in the future.
On April 9, 2026, the “NWKG H2 Storage” project was granted EU Project of Common Interest (PCI) status.
| TEN-E Regional Group | HI WEST |
| Beneficiary Countries | Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and other EU Member States |
| TYNDP Number | H2S-N-861 |
| PCI/PMI Number (2nd PCI-PMI List) | 9.22.6 |
| Project Promoter(s) | Nord-West Kavernengesellschaft mbH |
| Expected date of commissioning | Initial commissioning 31 Dec 2027; additional caverns to follow successively. |
| Current status | Permitting phase |
| Links to neighboring projects | H2T-A-1075; H2T-A-933, H2L-A-968 |
Security of Supply
Salt caverns offer the most cost-effective and immediately deployable solution for large-scale hydrogen storage. No other technology enables the storage of pure hydrogen on a comparable scale. This flexibility is crucial for maintaining a stable energy supply, particularly during periods of high demand or low production or imports. Storage is also of central importance to hydrogen producers. By offering storage capacities in the TWh range at competitive costs, NWKG paves the way for major hydrogen producers to reach a final investment decision and beyond.
Market Integration
Competitive hydrogen prices are made possible by the cost-efficiency of salt caverns. Affordable hydrogen storage facilitates the market integration of European hydrogen production and overseas imports. Furthermore, hydrogen storage complements initiatives such as the German H2 core network and the European Hydrogen Backbone, ensuring a flexible and secure energy supply across Europe. Beyond security of supply, this supports hydrogen trading between interconnected energy markets, stabilizes energy prices, and enhances market efficiency. Coupled with the development of new infrastructure, significant investments aimed at improving system stability and flexibility will drive economic growth and innovation.
Competition
The development of hydrogen storage in salt caverns will foster competition by offering an alternative to conventional energy storage methods, driving innovation, and reducing costs.
Last update: 08.06.2026
