The Netherlands has strong ambitions to accelerate the energy transition and is poised to become the cleantech hub for renewable energy in Europe. Hydrogen is one of the areas in which the country is rapidly developing new sustainable energy solutions. Industrial clusters specializing in the potential of hydrogen are innovating in the Netherlands, including the Port of Rotterdam.
This dynamic Dutch ecosystem will be on full display at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam, May 9-11, 2023. This international event will bring together government officials, industry leaders and experts from around the world to discuss the latest developments and future opportunities in the hydrogen industry. The summit will provide a platform for the Netherlands to showcase its leadership in the field and to learn from the experiences and best practices of other countries in the rapidly evolving green hydrogen world.
Ambitious plans
The Netherlands is already home to several large-scale green hydrogen projects, as well as specialized industry clusters for international collaboration on research, development, implementation and realization of new technologies. The Faraday Open Innovation Laboratory in Petten – part of the Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) – is one of the largest hydrogen research centers in Europe, aiming to optimize and develop existing electrolysis technologies.
In addition, the Dutch government has set ambitious plans to start large-scale production and widespread use of green hydrogen. The National Hydrogen Program supports hydrogen applications in various sectors. The government is also investing to develop a “national hydrogen network” that will be operational by 2031.
Many opportunities
The Dutch hydrogen ecosystem is attracting a growing number of companies looking to invest in the country’s green hydrogen sector. For example, a consortium of Shell, RWE, Groningen Seaports, Equinor and Gasunie called NortH2 is developing Europe’s largest green hydrogen project combining all aspects of the supply chain to achieve large-scale green hydrogen production.
U.S.-based hydrogen company Air Products recently opened its new project delivery office for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) in The Hague, Netherlands. In addition, the world’s leading offshore wind energy company Ørsted has the ambition to develop the world’s largest renewable hydrogen plant in the Netherlands with its “SeaH2Land” project.
