Safe Hydrogen Networks
Hydrogen is set to become an integral part of Germany’s energy mix. At the heart of this will be a pipeline network approximately 9,000 kilometers long. However, when it comes to technical implementation, there is still a lack of practical experience in handling hydrogen. The new „ModuH2Pipe@BAM,“ which opened on July 2, is intended to provide this experience.
In southeastern Berlin, in a densely forested area in the Horstwalde district of Baruth/Mark, the Technical Safety Test Site of the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) covers approximately twelve square kilometers. Shortly after German reunification, the Federal Institute took over the former military site. Control rooms secured in bunkers and sophisticated safety technology allow even risky practical experiments to be conducted here. These include, for example, large-scale experiments involving significant amounts of energy or flammable gases, fire and explosion investigations, experiments requiring large safety distances, and the controlled investigation of damage consequences. A key advantage is the integration with the BAM laboratories in Berlin.
Here in Horstwalde, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Katharina Löwe, Head of the Process and Plant Safety Division at BAM, together with Dr.-Ing. Kai Hilgenberg, Head of the Component Safety Department, and Dr. Kai Holtappels, Head of Energy Carrier Safety, officially opened the „ModuH2Pipe@BAM“ on July 2, 2026, as part of the H₂ Networks real-world laboratory. Around 150 visitors from the fields of research, industry, politics, and the media had traveled to the site to tour the new test facility nestled among the forests.
Filling Knowledge Gaps
The reason for the high level of local interest is the ongoing development of a hydrogen backbone network, scheduled for completion by 2032. Among other things, it is intended to connect the seaports on the North Sea and Baltic Sea with the industrial centers along the Rhine, Ruhr, and Main rivers, as well as in Swabia, Upper Bavaria, and Central Germany. Of the planned 9,040 kilometers of pipeline, approximately 60 percent will consist of existing, repurposed natural gas pipelines; 40 percent will be newly constructed. Until now, the design of these pipelines and the associated facilities has relied solely on computational models and laboratory-scale experiments. Practical, full-scale experience with handling hydrogen under normal operating conditions—as well as under extreme conditions—was lacking. The real-world laboratory closes this gap. Partners can examine components or pipeline segments on a full scale and then have BAM conduct material and gas analyses. The facility is not only a research infrastructure but also explicitly a service and development platform for external partners.
Photo: Vereinigte Fachverlage/Daniel Schilling