NRL III pipeline construction project
North Sea Ruhr Link III – bringing hydrogen from Lower Saxony to North Rhine-Westphalia
North Sea Ruhr Link III is the third section of the North Sea Ruhr Link finally connecting the north of Germany with the north-west in Westphalia.
Together with other national gas network operators, OGE has been tasked by the Federal Network Agency and the German government to develop a Germany-wide hydrogen core network. The North Sea Ruhr Link is a central transmission route for hydrogen from the northern coastal regions to the north-west of Germany, connecting the northern import corridor as well as national producers and consumers of hydrogen along the route.
North Sea Ruhr Link III runs for approx. 122 km from Bunde to Wettringen in Westphalia. Unlike the other sections of the North Sea Ruhr Link pipeline, it crosses two federal states – Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Facts and figures
approx. 122KM
Pipeline length
buried
Type of installation
100 bar
Design pressure
DN 1200
Pipe diameter
Q4 2026
Construction
Q4 2027
Completion
Planning status
The Hydrogen Core Network has set a target for the completion and commissioning of the North Sea-Ruhr Link III by the end of 2027. Our planning is also aligned with this target.
As with the North Sea-Ruhr Link I and IV, the framework agreement concluded with the agricultural associations of Friesland, Wesermarsch, Norden-Emden, Aurich, and Emsland / Grafschaft Bentheim also applies to the North Sea-Ruhr Link III.
In January and February 2025, we organized seven public engagement events along the route of the Lower Saxony section of the North Sea-Ruhr Link III. Through these events, we were able to inform approximately 630 people about our project. Lambert Huring from the Emsland / Grafschaft Bentheim Farmers’ Association and Johannes Müller from the East Frisia Farmers’ Association also participated in the events and presented the framework agreement.
In September 2025, we submitted the application for a planning approval decision to the State Office for Mining, Energy, and Geology (LBEG) for the Lower Saxony section of the North Sea-Ruhr Link III. This was followed in October 2025 by the application for a planning approval decision to the Münster District Government for the section in North Rhine-Westphalia.