7 underappreciated developments already shaping the Dutch hydrogen economy

The results of the 2026 Hydrogen Survey reveal seven developments showing how entrepreneurs and frontrunners are taking the initiative:

1. Oxygen and waste heat are strengthening the business case

In traditional calculation models, hydrogen is assessed solely on the cost of the H2 molecule. However, electrolysis of water also produces 8 kilograms of pure oxygen (O2) per kilogram of hydrogen, as well as a large amount of high-quality waste heat. Regional projects such as those in Stad aan 't Haringvliet, along with agricultural initiatives through ACRRES and Wageningen Research, are clearly generating more value in their business cases by using the full value locally. Pure oxygen is used for wastewater treatment and aquaculture, while the waste heat can be fed directly into local heating networks or used in greenhouse horticulture.

2. Decentralized local-for-local systems are growing faster than centralized megaprojects

While centralized gigawatt-scale projects at sea and large import terminals sometimes face delays, a flexible network of decentralized hydrogen chains is growing across the Netherlands. Initiatives such as H2Hub Twente, the Kustbus in Schagen, De Lelystadse Boer and projects in the municipality of Woensdrecht show that small-scale, regional energy hubs are already operating or are about to launch. At present, decentralized projects are developing significantly faster and more flexibly than nationwide projects, which is understandable given their scale and structure.

3. Combustion engines as a practical intermediate step

While policy often focuses on fuel cells, the construction, dredging and maritime sectors are increasingly turning to hydrogen internal combustion engines, or H2-ICE. Companies such as NPS Driven, Resato, Swagelok and Hystream point to several practical advantages. H2-ICE engines have considerably lower acquisition costs, are robust in dusty working environments and place fewer demands on gas purity. Converting existing engines appears to be the fastest and most cost-effective route for heavy-duty applications.

4. Mobility and the built environment as growth drivers

In practice, the industry-first strategy is running into difficulties because heavy industry operates in global markets with thin margins, while the price difference between natural gas and green hydrogen remains too large without substantial subsidies. As a result, frontrunners are focusing on logistics, transport and the built environment as growth drivers. Consumers and mobility customers are better able to absorb the price, creating faster volume growth, greater public visibility and declining costs throughout the entire value chain.

5. Electrolysers as a solution to electricity grid congestion

Grid congestion is bringing business expansion and residential construction to a standstill in many parts of the Netherlands. For developers, hydrogen is a logical way to store surplus solar and wind energy locally at connection points where the grid is operating at full capacity. The sector is strongly advocating that electrolysers at congested locations should not be treated as ordinary electricity consumers subject to high grid transport charges. Instead, they should be used as grid stabilizers.

6. Exporting high-value technology and manufacturing expertise

The greatest opportunity probably does not lie in becoming Europe's cheapest producer of hydrogen molecules, but in exporting Dutch manufacturing expertise, R&D and engineering capabilities. Companies such as Swagelok, Resato and Hystream are leading the way in high-quality sensors, compressors and OEM components. Exporting this advanced technology to foreign markets offers the Netherlands significant economic opportunities.

7. Strategic autonomy and security

Experts no longer view the scaling up of offshore hydrogen storage and North Sea projects solely as climate measures. They increasingly see them as pillars of national security and strategic autonomy. Offshore storage and production reduce pressure on the electricity grid on land and make Europe less dependent on foreign pipelines and vulnerable LNG imports.

Insights from the 2026 Hydrogen Survey

These seven developments show that the Dutch hydrogen sector is not being paralyzed by uncertainty. Instead, it is demonstrating flexibility and innovative strength. These valuable insights and practical experiences come from the 2026 Hydrogen Survey, in which respondents from across the entire value chain and from all parts of the country shared their views and operational data. The results underline that the transition is already taking shape through collaboration and entrepreneurship.

Concrete plans and collaboration

Market participants, ranging from grid operators and major industrial consumers to SME pioneers and port companies, gave an average score of 3.67 out of 5 for the concreteness of their hydrogen plans.

Engagement across the value chain is high. A total of 87.6% of respondents are directly responsible for hydrogen activities within their organizations, while 86.5% are collaborating in active market consortia. In addition, these respondents have already invested hundreds of millions of euros in the Dutch hydrogen value chain:

• 22.5% of organizations have already invested more than €5 million, including industrial companies, terminal operators and port companies.
• 28.1% have invested between €1 million and €5 million.
• 65.2% of companies have also reserved a concrete investment budget for the next two years.

Delays and declining confidence

Despite this high level of market readiness, investment appetite is cooling somewhat. The percentage of companies with a reserved investment budget fell from 72% in 2025 to 65.2% in 2026. The cause lies in declining confidence in political support:

• The sector gives the government a score of 2.54 out of 5 for its role as a driver of the hydrogen economy.
• Satisfaction with the steps taken by the government in The Hague over the past year received the lowest average score in the entire survey, at 2.52 out of 5.
• As many as 69.7% of respondents stated that national policy objectives are not sufficiently concrete to serve as the basis for a multi-year business strategy.

Organization size by number of employees

• 1 to 15 employees, micro and small businesses: 62.9%
• 16 to 50 employees, small businesses: 14.6%
• 50 to 250 employees, medium-sized organizations: 5.6%
• More than 250 employees, large corporations and multinationals: 16.9%

Historical investment in hydrogen

• Less than €1 million: 49.4%
• €1 million to €5 million: 28.1%
• More than €5 million: 22.5%

Project categories

• Production: 20.2%
• End user: 10.1%
• Transport: 9.0%
• Research: 7.9%
• Fuel production: 5.6%
• Storage: 4.5%
• Import: 3.4%
• R&D: 3.4%
• Financing: 2.2%
• Other, including consultancy, advice, networks, machinery manufacturing and safety: 33.7%

Geographic distribution by province

• Groningen: 16.9%
• North Holland: 14.6%
• South Holland: 13.5%
• North Brabant: 10.1%
• Gelderland: 9.0%
• Overijssel: 7.9%
• Zeeland: 6.7%
• Drenthe: 5.6%
• Limburg: 5.6%
• Utrecht: 5.6%
• Flevoland: 3.4%
• Friesland: 1.1%