His Majesty the King symbolically activated the first section of the national hydrogen network in Rotterdam on Wednesday afternoon, 20 May. He did so together with Minister Stientje van Veldhoven of Climate and Green Growth and Gasunie CEO Willemien Terpstra during the official completion of the first section in the Rotterdam port area: a 32-kilometre pipeline between Maasvlakte and Pernis. This completion marks an important milestone in the development of a Dutch and European hydrogen infrastructure.
Construction of hydrogen network
Construction of the national hydrogen network started in October 2023. With the completion of this first section, hydrogen can be transported from production sites on the Maasvlakte to industry. In the coming years, the network will be further extended to major industrial regions in the Netherlands and connected to storage sites and networks in Germany and Belgium.
Milestone
Minister Stientje van Veldhoven of Climate and Green Growth: "I am proud that today, together with His Majesty the King and Gasunie, I was able to activate the first part of the hydrogen network. A real milestone! This hydrogen network is incredibly important for the Netherlands and the opportunities it offers for a cleaner and more sustainable industry. An important step towards becoming the hydrogen hub of Europe. This is necessary for the climate, and with it we strengthen our economy and European independence."
This hydrogen network is incredibly important for the Netherlands and the opportunities it offers for a cleaner and more sustainable industryMinister Stientje van Veldhoven of Climate and Green Growth
Gasunie CEO Willemien Terpstra: "The completion of the first section of the hydrogen network shows that hydrogen is no longer a future promise, but tangible infrastructure that is in place and can be used. This is a solid building block for a sustainable, affordable and resilient energy system in the Netherlands and Northwest Europe. I would like to thank all our colleagues and partners who have made this milestone possible."
Important step towards European energy system
The completion of the first section in Rotterdam marks an important step towards making industry sustainable while maintaining competitiveness. With the port of Rotterdam as a European energy hub and the strategic Delta Rhine Corridor connection, hydrogen and CO2 can be transported between the Netherlands and Germany. This infrastructure is thus an important building block for an integrated European energy system. In that system, hydrogen, CO₂, natural gas, heat and wind energy together strengthen the strategic autonomy and economic earning capacity of the Netherlands and Northwest Europe.
Making industry more sustainable
The national hydrogen network will eventually cover around 1,200 kilometres and largely uses existing natural gas pipelines. This makes the network an essential precondition for the development of a well-functioning hydrogen market and for making industry more sustainable. Meanwhile, the first hydrogen plant has also been connected to the network. More production and import locations and industrial customers are expected to be connected to the Rotterdam network in the coming years.
Hydrogen corridor
The development of hydrogen infrastructure requires close cooperation across borders. Cross-border networks are crucial to connect supply and demand of hydrogen in north-western Europe and to offer industry perspectives on scale, security of supply and affordability. In that context, Gasunie, Thyssengas and Open Grid Europe signed an agreement during the meeting in Rotterdam to jointly develop a cross-border hydrogen connection between the Netherlands and Germany. The agreement marks the next step in the development of a cross-border hydrogen connection between the Netherlands and Germany.
Opening photo: Anne Reitsma - Gasunie
Read also: First ADR hydrogen truck in Europe: pilot started
