Nordic-Baltic hydrogen infrastructure in Estonia

The objective of the national special spatial plan is to design the Nordic-Baltic hydrogen corridor and the infrastructure required for its operation; this will help establish the technical and economic prerequisites for developing Estonia’s domestic hydrogen infrastructure and improve the region's security of supply.

Establishing a hydrogen infrastructure backbone enables the emergence of a liquid hydrogen market in Estonia and allows for more cost-effective operation and balancing of the domestic network. Branch connections can be linked to the backbone, extending to areas with hydrogen production or consumption potential—specifically, regions with the potential for developing energy-intensive industries that utilize hydrogen or for large-scale hydrogen production.

The plan outlines the hydrogen infrastructure, including the hydrogen transmission pipeline, valve stations (spaced 8–20 km apart), distribution and metering stations (up to two), and compressor stations (up to two). Pipelines represent the most cost-effective method for transporting hydrogen in large volumes, such as for supply to energy-intensive industries.

The national special spatial planning process consists of two stages:
1) preliminary site selection, and
2) the development of a detailed solution for the selected site.

The planning process aims to adopt the national special spatial plan based on the preliminary site selection decision. If it is not possible to forgo the development of a detailed solution during the planning process, a detailed planning solution—including a preliminary design and a basic design—will be prepared for the suitable site to establish building rights. The special national spatial plan will result in a comprehensive spatial solution for the Estonian section of the Nordic-Baltic hydrogen infrastructure and the structures functionally associated with it. For example, the following facilities are being planned: a fuel gas transmission pipeline with an operating pressure exceeding 16 bar, fuel gas distribution and metering stations, a fuel gas compressor station, and other fuel gas-related structures.

Planning Area

When making a preliminary site selection for the national special spatial plan, multiple potential locations must be considered. The aim is to identify the optimal location for the hydrogen infrastructure across the entire planning area. As Estonia currently lacks significant hydrogen production and consumption volumes—and consequently the associated infrastructure—the task of the national special spatial plan is to design Estonia’s hydrogen backbone network and determine a suitable location for the infrastructure. During the planning process, the use of existing route corridors for Elering’s electricity and gas transmission networks must be considered as an alternative to establishing new hydrogen infrastructure routes; this approach aims to minimize the extent of land burdened by new protection zones and ensure the efficient use of spatial resources.

The planning area for the national special spatial plan encompasses the following local government units:

Harju County: the rural municipalities of Kuusalu, Jõelähtme, Anija, Raasiku, Rae, Kiili, Kose, Saku, and Saue;
Rapla County: the rural municipalities of Kohila, Rapla, Kehtna, and Märjamaa;
Lääne County: the rural municipality of Lääne-Nigula;
Järva County: the rural municipality of Türi;
Pärnu County: the rural municipalities of Lääneranna, Põhja-Pärnumaa, Tori, and Saarde, and the City of Pärnu;
Viljandi County: the rural municipalities of Põhja-Sakala, Mulgi, and Viljandi;
Valga County: the rural municipality of Tõrva.
The size of the planning area has been refined since the initiation of the plan and differs from that stated in the initiation order, as the boundaries were adjusted based on the planned locations of utility networks. The planning area may undergo further refinement during the planning process. The size of the planning area is approximately 6,430 km².

Project manager

Monika Korolkov
[email protected]
+372 5884 7055

Media contact

Geili Heinmaa
[email protected]
+372 5850 3951