Italian gas grid operator Snam is pushing its HyGreen pipeline concept as a way to move hydrogen across Europe. The design can carry up to 100 percent hydrogen on key routes after targeted upgrades, linking industrial clusters and storage sites from North Africa to central Europe. HyGreen covers both new hydrogen-ready pipelines and repurposed natural gas corridors. Snam is one of the main promoters of the European Hydrogen Backbone initiative, with planned corridors connecting Italy to Germany, Austria, and North African production hubs. The company positions this as a way to phase in hydrogen capacity without abandoning existing gas assets. The commercial logic depends on growing hydrogen demand from refineries, steelmakers, and heavy transport. Snam can earn regulated returns on hydrogen pipeline investments similar to natural gas infrastructure, which helps de-risk the capital needed. The concept is still mostly in planning and permitting stages, with actual deployment depending on policy support and carbon pricing.
