KfW IPEX-Bank extends credit line for Trading Hub Europe GmbH

• Contribution to ensuring Germany's gas supply
• Development of a nationwide hydrogen core network

KfW IPEX-Bank is extending the credit line for Trading Hub Europe GmbH (“THE”), which has been in place since 2022. This marks the third extension, while retaining the existing banking consortium consisting of Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, LBBW, BayernLB, DZ BANK, NORD/LB and UniCredit. KfW IPEX-Bank has acted as sole mandated lead arranger, bookrunner and agent since the credit line was issued.

“This mandate underpins the excellent customer relationship we have with our customer THE,” says Aida Welker, Member of the Management Board of KfW IPEX-Bank. “We have been supporting THE for many years and thus also the security of supply in Germany, which is essential for both the population and the economy. We are also contributing to the construction of the hydrogen core network throughout Germany and thereby helping to drive the transformation of the energy supply.”

In its role as gas market area manager, THE plays a key role in the German gas market. In addition, in 2024 the Federal Network Agency transferred responsibility for both financing of the hydrogen core network and management of the amortisation account to H2 Amortisationskonto GmbH, which is majority owned by THE; KfW was in turn tasked with financing the amortisation account (credit line of EUR 24 billion).

About Trading Hub Europe GmbH
The company Trading Hub Europe GmbH was founded on June 1, 2021 through cooperation between the network operators bayernets GmbH, Fluxys TENP GmbH, GASCADE Gastransport GmbH, Gastransport Nord GmbH, Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH, NaTran Deutschland GmbH, Nowega GmbH, ONTRAS Gastransport GmbH, Open Grid Europe GmbH, terranets bw GmbH and Thyssengas GmbH. The high-pressure pipeline system in the Germany-wide Trading Hub Europe market area has a total length of around 40,000 km and connects more than 700 downstream grids. The tasks of the market area manager include balancing group management, the operation of the virtual trading point and the procurement of balancing energy. Trading Hub Europe thus ensures the operation of the market area and makes an important contribution to the supply of natural gas in Germany and Europe. THE is also providing operational structures for the 9,040-kilometre-long hydrogen core network. The network is scheduled to be built by 2032, with the first core network pipelines (525 km) set to go into operation as early as 2025.