Chemnitz is building the energy supply of tomorrow: over 30 million euros in EU funding for hydrogen infrastructure and energy storage
JTF funding for connection to the hydrogen core network and the Galgenberg Energy Park
Chemnitz is receiving a significant boost for the transformation of its energy supply: today (18 June 2026), eins energie in sachsen GmbH & Co. KG has today (18 June 2026) received funding approvals totalling over 30.3 million euros. The funds come from the European Union’s Just Transition Fund (JTF).
The funding covers, on the one hand, preparations for connecting the city of Chemnitz to the future core hydrogen network. To this end, existing gas pipelines will be converted to carry hydrogen and new hydrogen transport pipelines will be constructed. The project is receiving €20.7 million in funding. In addition, eins energie is receiving €9.6 million for the construction of a photovoltaicground-mounted photovoltaic plant with a capacity of 15 megawatts, as well as a large-scale battery storage facility with a connected load of 15 megawatts and a storage capacity of 30 megawatt-hours at the Galgenberg Energy Park in the Röhrsdorf district of Chemnitz.
Regina Kraushaar, Saxony’s Minister for Infrastructure, said:
Hydrogen is a key technology for the future – and Chemnitz and South-West Saxony are making impressive strides in this area.
By preparing the connection to the core hydrogen network, eins energie is laying the foundations for a secure energy supply for the region of tomorrow. Equally important is the expansion of photovoltaic systems with storage technology: renewable energy is generated locally, stored and made reliably available for use. The funding is well spent here. My thanks go to eins energie, which is supporting us on this path as a forward-thinking and reliable partner.
Dirk Panter, Saxony’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, said:
The Free State of Saxony is providing funding to support two key projects for the future, which are of great importance to Chemnitz as an industrial centre and to the entire region.
Thanks to established players such as the HZwo hydrogen cluster, Chemnitz is already a key hub in the hydrogen economy. At the same time, numerous companies are ready to play an active role in the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. The energy sector, too, is banking on hydrogen for the future. Accordingly, network operators are investing in the expansion of the necessary infrastructure. Eins energie is taking responsibility in this area and driving forward forward-looking projects. One thing is clear: storage solutions will play a key role in the energy system of the future. This makes it all the more important that we have strong energy suppliers in Saxony who are actively shaping this development.
Sven Schulz, Mayor, said:
With the support of the Just Transition Fund and the commitment of our regional partners, we are today laying another foundation stone for the development of an efficient hydrogen infrastructure in the Chemnitz region.
In doing so, we are simultaneously creating the conditions for a sustainable industrial future and strengthening the long-term competitiveness of south-west Saxony as a business location.
Roland Warner, Chairman of the eins Executive Board, said:
The connection to the core hydrogen network provides greater planning certainty not only for us, but also for businesses in the region.
Hydrogen integration opens up new prospects for the decarbonisation of industrial processes
The planned hydrogen connection will lay the groundwork for connecting Chemnitz in future to the OPAL pipeline running east of Freiberg, which is set to become part of the nationwide core hydrogen network in the early 2030s. To this end, a transfer control station will be built on the hydrogen core network east of Freiberg, and a control station will be constructed in the Hartha district of Oederan. In addition, a new transmission pipeline, including control cables, will be built between Hartha and the upstream hydrogen core network, and an existing natural gas transmission pipeline will be converted to carry hydrogen. The new infrastructure will help meet regional hydrogen demand and enable significant CO₂ savings. At the same time, it opens up prospects for the decarbonisation of industrial processes and district heating supply in Chemnitz. Completion is scheduled for 2029. The investment costs for the entire project amount to approximately 29.6 million euros.
Galgenberg Energy Park: Photovoltaics and large-scale battery storage boost regional renewable energy generation
The Galgenberg Energy Park complements this development. The combination of a photovoltaic system and large-scale battery storage increases regional renewable energy generation and improves security of supply. The battery storage system can temporarily store electricity from renewable sources, balance out peak loads and provide additional system services for the electricity grid. The high-performance lithium-ion battery modules will be housed in 20-foot containers. This standard solution, which is currently well established, has a modular design and offers pre-configured systems. The battery storage system is used as an intermediate storage facility to shift renewable electricity generated by the directly connected PV system to times of higher demand. In addition, it provides grid services in the form of regulating power. The two new PV systems, located in the immediate vicinity of the battery storage facility at Galgenberg, will have a combined capacity of 15 MWp and will thus generate around 15 million kWh of electricity per year. The PV systems and the battery storage facility are scheduled to come on stream in 2028. The investment costs for the entire project amount to approximately 25 million euros.
Both projects thus make an important contribution to the implementation of the European Green Deal and to the successful transformation of the Chemnitz energy region.
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Chemnitz is building the energy supply of tomorrow: over 30 million euros in EU funding for hydrogen infrastructure and energy storage, source
