Independent research from SNS Insider released on 14 May 2026 projects the global hydrogen pipeline market reaching USD 63.9 billion by 2035, with fixed pipelines accounting for approximately 72 percent of 2025 market share.
Steel mills and refineries are among the leading hydrogen-transport demand sources. Dedicated 4-inch hydrogen pipelines are estimated at USD 0.24/kg transport cost, versus USD 1.63/kg for tube trailers.
Why it matters for green steel: Lower-cost hydrogen transport — particularly via dedicated pipelines — is critical to hitting cost parity for H₂-DRI steel; without it, hydrogen-DRI economics remain confined to integrated electrolyser-DRI sites like Boden and Inkoo