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Le 19 mars 2025
Teréga: A new first for the Group, with the conversion of a natural gas pipeline to hydrogen in Ambès (Gironde)
Teréga, the historic operator of gas transport and storage infrastructures in the South West, announces a major advance in the energy transition, with the implementation of a protocol for converting a natural gas pipeline to hydrogen in Ambès, Gironde. This pilot project, called Retrofit H₂, is a first for Teréga and a decisive step in the transformation of existing gas infrastructures into an H₂-ready network.
A pipeline tested under real-life conditions: a strategic site
For two years, Teréga’s teams have been working to create a theoretical conversion protocol. The Ambès site was chosen to test its feasibility under real-life conditions, due to its optimal conditions: a strategic situation, the pipeline’s characteristics, particularly its age, grade of steel, and the fact that it is disconnected from the grid but still maintained in good condition – all the criteria needed to guarantee a completely safe test. This 468 metre stretch, located in Ambès on the branch serving the EDF power station, which was dismantled several years ago, offers an ideal setting for the experiment.
Retrofit H₂: an innovative project for the future
This project marks a major advance for Teréga and the energy sector in France. Its approval by the relevant authorities will not only provide proof of the technical feasibility of gas infrastructure conversion, but will also confirm the protocol proposed by Teréga – a key step in the development of large-scale hydrogen transport. Retrofit H₂ is an integral part of the work to develop the HySoW corridor, a 650 km infrastructure dedicated to hydrogen transport and storage, with the aim of decarbonising industrial and mobility hubs in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie.
