Ref. Ares(2022)821783 - 04/02/2022
Thierry Breton
EU Commissioner for Internal Market
European Commission ‐ Directorate General for GROW
Cc: Kerstin Jorna
Director General
European Commission ‐ Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship
and SMEs
Ref: PRE0269‐21
By email only
31 August 2021
Repurposing of the European gas grids
Introduction by new
,
Dear Commissioner Breton,
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new
and
I would be grateful
of the opportunity to meet and speak with you on the framework for the repurposing of the gas grids to
hydrogen and on the role of TSOs and ENTSOG in the energy transition. ENTSOG and the gas TSOs have, as owners and operators of the gas transmission system, delivered a well‐
planned and efficient functioning of gas markets, improved security of gas supply and stronger technical
cooperation between all EU gas transmission systems. The TSOs have been instrumental in operating the gas
system safely and at reasonable costs to the consumer. Now, we are planning for making the gas system ‘’Fit for
55’’. In our “ENTSOG 2050 Roadmap for Gas Grids
”, we outlined how our networks can be adapted and
developed to achieve EU Green Deal goals
. These values are at the core of our work, which we manage in
constant dialogue with multiple stakeholders, i.e., under the
Clean Hydrogen Alliance Transmission and
Distribution Round Table and via ENTSOG’s Advisory Panel for Future of Gas Grids.
A fundamental principle for the efficient development of EU‐wide hydrogen infrastructure is the development
of a
viable regulation to encourage investment, open and transparent access to the infrastructures and to
hydrogen and biomethane markets. Also, we are working on smartening the gas grids in planning and operations
for the (bio)methane and hydrogen pathways and combination thereof, based on the regional conditions.
Furthermore, ENTSOG is working on how to materialise the synergies between existing gas grids and future
hydrogen grids, enabling the development of such infrastructure in the economically, technically and regulatorily
most efficient manner.
We work on those aspects with users of the existing gas networks and with all parts of
the emerging hydrogen value chain. I would like to suggest a meeting with you to discuss this exciting period for EU energy infrastructure in more
detail at your earliest convenience. Members of the ENTSOG team will be in contact to check the necessary
arrangements for such a meeting.
Yours sincerely,
ENTSOG AISBL; Av. de Cortenbergh 100, 1000‐Brussels; Tel: +32 2 894 5100; Fax: +32 2 894 5101; xxxx@xxxxxx.xx
www.entsog.eu, VAT No. BE0822 653 040