Hydrogen front-runner VoltH2: A flexible business case in a wait-and-see market
The hydrogen market is still young. That means that, in practice, parties often end up waiting for one another: producers wait for customers, and customers wait for sufficient supply and infrastructure. To break this chicken-and-egg situation, a flexible business case is needed. VoltH2 shows how to do this successfully and therefore received the Front-runner Award at the Cluster 6 event hosted by Nederland Waterstofland.
VoltH2 is already well advanced with its electrolysis projects in the Netherlands, with the plant in Delfzijl leading the way. In today’s market it is extremely difficult to make a project viable, but in Delfzijl a workable setup has been found. VoltH2 achieves this by keeping the first construction phase relatively small and by smartly distributing off-take. The hydrogen produced will soon go partly to an industrial customer (Evonik) and partly to a filling station for tube trailers, aimed at mobility and generators.
Working together on flexibility
Flexibility remains a major challenge in this early stage of the hydrogen transition. By working with the off-taker to find solutions, an answer was found. This approach builds trust and is also one of the reasons the Delfzijl project was awarded the OWE grant. This way of working appears to be effective and is an important reason behind granting the award.
Green light for Zeeland
The intention is for the two projects in Zeeland -Vlissingen and Terneuzen - to follow a similar example. A pragmatic approach is essential to ensure that projects actually move forward. For the Zeeland projects, most lights are now green. A great deal of work has already been done, but the final step still depends on two pillars: off-take and additional financing. Because it’s important that the entire value chain moves together, we asked: “What do you need in order to take the Zeeland projects to the next level as well?”
Front-runner Award
VoltH2’s approach shows that by working together, staying pragmatic, and keeping projects manageable, you can still achieve your goal. With the Front-runner Award, we spotlight Dutch hydrogen projects—projects that combine courage, decisiveness, and a strategic view of the hydrogen economy, and that demonstrate the innovative strength that puts the Netherlands on the map.
