Article
Hydrogen
To successfully fight climate change, the global community needs to work together, and we need a rapid energy transition to reduce CO2 emissions. This means reducing energy consumption and shifting to renewable energy for climate-neutral systems. Hydrogen is one of the most flexible and versatile carbon-neutral fuels and its potential is huge. Yet, unlocking it requires structured efforts such as scaling up production capacity, developing infrastructure and improving global logistics. We need to work together on the large-scale adoption of green hydrogen, from storage and transport to production and application.
The Netherlands is determined to play a substantial and constructive role in building a global hydrogen-based future. The Dutch approach is explicitly driven by the climate policies and commitments from government, knowledge institutions and business. The Dutch are already at the forefront of European initiatives to kick-start a hydrogen revolution, offering expertise on a wide range of solutions, for example with the use of electrolysers in combination with wind and solar installations to generate clean energy.
The Hydrogen Valley
The northern region of the Netherlands finds itself with a unique opportunity: to cost-effectively develop an integrated hydrogen ecosystem, which can prove to be a game-changer in global hydrogen developments and accelerate the energy transition. This integrated approach allows for the best technologies from the country to come together and work in one specific region. The entire hydrogen value chain can be created here. From sustainable energy sources and production to storage, transport and applications.
The Hydrogen Valley has over 30 subprojects running and in preparation with public-private parties taking a cross-sectorial approach under 4 different themes; storage and infrastructure, generating hydrogen as a raw material for industrial use, using hydrogen as heat and power in residential areas, and sustainable mobility.
With Europe’s first hydrogen valley, the Netherlands can accelerate the energy transition and development of hydrogen, as well as serve as an example for the international community to follow.
A hydrogen backbone
Another strong asset of the Netherlands is the large natural gas infrastructure network, which is also one of the most sophisticated in the world. The publication of HyWay27 has confirmed that the existing natural gas network can be used for the transport of hydrogen between regions and abroad. By converting this (already existing) infrastructure, we are taking the transition and development of hydrogen to the next level. Together with our neighbouring countries we are preparing a transnational hydrogen infrastructure known as the hydrogen backbone.
Recent innovations include a wind turbine with an integrated 4 MW electrolyser and the world’s first offshore electrolyser in the North Sea. Other projects aim to accelerate the development of solutions and upscaling the sector. Meanwhile, experts at the Dutch research and technology organization TNO, together with industry partners, are developing special hydrogen tanks as a means to make transport more flexible, safe and cost-effective. Embracing its geographical advantage, the Netherlands is preparing to become a major hydrogen hub for importing, storing and exporting hydrogen to neighbouring countries.
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