King Willem-Alexander and Minister Van Veldhoven open first section of the national hydrogen network
His Majesty the King symbolically activated the first section of the national hydrogen network on Wednesday afternoon, 20 May, in Rotterdam. He did so together with Minister Stientje van Veldhoven for Climate and Green Growth and Gasunie CEO Willemien Terpstra during the official completion of the first segment in the Port of Rotterdam area: a 32-kilometre pipeline between Maasvlakte and Pernis. With this completion, an important milestone has been reached in the development of a Dutch and European hydrogen infrastructure.
Construction of the national hydrogen network started in October 2023. With the completion of this first segment, hydrogen can be transported from production sites at Maasvlakte to industry. In the coming years, the network will be expanded further to the major industrial regions in the Netherlands and connected to storage locations and networks in Germany and Belgium.
Minister Stientje van Veldhoven for 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 true milestone! This network is extremely important for the Netherlands and for the opportunities it offers for a cleaner and more sustainable industry. An important step in the development toward becoming the hydrogen hub of Europe. That is necessary for the climate, and in doing so we strengthen our economy and Europe’s independence.”
Gasunie CEO Willemien Terpstra: “The completion of the first part of the hydrogen network shows that hydrogen is no longer just a promise for the future, 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 made this milestone possible.”
Important step toward a European energy system
The completion of the first section in Rotterdam marks an important step in enabling industry to become more 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 therefore forms an important building block for an integrated European energy system. In that system, hydrogen, CO₂, natural gas, heat and wind energy together strengthen strategic autonomy and the economic earning capacity of the Netherlands and Northwest Europe.
Key condition for a hydrogen market and industrial decarbonisation
The national hydrogen network will ultimately span around 1,200 kilometres and will largely make use of existing natural gas pipelines. The network thus forms an essential precondition for the development of a well-functioning hydrogen market and for the decarbonisation of industry. The first hydrogen plant has now also been connected to the network. In the coming years, more production and import locations as well as industrial customers are expected to be connected to the Rotterdam network.
European cooperation essential; next step: hydrogen corridor with Germany
Developing hydrogen infrastructure requires close cross-border cooperation. Cross-border networks are crucial to connect hydrogen supply and demand in Northwest Europe and to offer industry prospects in terms of scale, security of supply and affordability. In this 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. With this agreement, a next step has been taken in developing a cross-border hydrogen connection between the Netherlands and Germany.
Photographer: Anne Reitsma
