Shell and TenneT have signed a connection and transmission agreement to connect the first large-scale hydrogen plant to the high-voltage grid. Shell's Holland Hydrogen 1 will be a 200-megawatt (MW) electrolyzer on the Maasvlakte.
Hydrogen plant
Shell is building the first large hydrogen plant for renewable hydrogen in Europe. It has a capacity of 200 MW. The plant is rising behind the dunes of the Dutch coast, on the Second Maasvlakte. Among other things, the Holland Hydrogen 1 will help make the plants at Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam (Pernis) more sustainable. A special hydrogen pipeline will connect the hydrogen plant to the port of Rotterdam.
From temporary to permanent connection
TenneT has insufficient space at the existing high-voltage substations to connect the hydrogen plant. A new 380 kV high-voltage substation is being built in Amaliahaven on Maasvlakte 2. This substation is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Shell and TenneT have therefore come up with a temporary solution, giving Shell a temporary and limited connection to the Maasvlakte 380 kV high-voltage substation. After the Amaliahaven high-voltage substation is completed, Shell will be fully and permanently connected to this substation.
Collaboration
On Friday 20 September, Frans Everts of Shell and Maarten Abbenhuis of TenneT signed the connection and transmission agreement, under the watchful eye of Boudewijn Siemons of Port of Rotterdam. Maarten Abbenhuis, COO of TenneT: "As space becomes available on this temporary connection, we can facilitate Shell's hydrogen plant now. Through good cooperation with Shell and Port of Rotterdam, we were able to find this solution. It is a great example of a smart and unorthodox solution to still be able to connect parties, despite scarce grid space."
Energy transition
Frans Everts, president and CEO of Shell Netherlands: "With green hydrogen, electrification and CO2 capture and storage, we can make Dutch industry more sustainable. Raw materials and products we all use every day can thus be made in cleaner ways. This collaboration with TenneT shows once again that energy transition is a team sport. Together, we can accelerate the necessary transition to cleaner energy."
Industrial cluster
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO Port of Rotterdam: "The strength of the industrial cluster in our port is that by working together creatively and smartly, the companies enable the necessary steps in the energy transition and thus strengthen the cluster as a whole. This agreement between TenneT and Shell is a good example of that."
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Photo: Shell
