[Series 2/7] 'Liquid hydrogen can become just as common as LNG'

A coalition of 24 companies is working together on the development of large-scale hydrogen imports. In May 2026, the coalition presented a hydrogen trade agenda to Minister Stientje van Veldhoven, containing recommendations to help kick-start the hydrogen market more quickly, including through greater clarity on infrastructure, permits, and financial guarantees. Nederland Waterstofland (Hydrogen Country Netherlands) is publishing a series on this hydrogen trade agenda and the import of various hydrogen carriers.

• Part 1: Hydrogen import by the Netherlands
• Part 2: Liquid hydrogen (this article)
• Part 3: Methanol (forthcoming)
• Part 4: Ammonia (forthcoming)
• Part 5: LOHC (forthcoming)

In part 2, Ellen Ruhotas, CEO of EcoLog, explains why liquid hydrogen is highly suitable for transport, and why patience is the most important quality in this sector.

You have been working on importing liquid hydrogen for years, while the sector mostly talks about ammonia. Why? 

"Fifty-five years ago, no one transported liquefied natural gas (LNG) by ship. People asked: why liquefy gas when there are pipelines? Today, LNG is one of the most important energy carriers in the world. We believe liquid hydrogen can follow the same trajectory.

Ammonia has a head start because ships and infrastructure already exist. However, producing ammonia from green hydrogen is a chemical process. That is highly energy-intensive. Doing this in a country with abundant wind and sun makes it somewhat affordable. But if you want to crack the ammonia back into hydrogen in Europe, that is extremely expensive because that is also an energy-intensive process. With liquid hydrogen, you perform the energy-intensive part - liquefaction - at the production site, where renewable energy is cheap. Regasifying liquid hydrogen requires much less energy. Moreover, we can cleverly integrate it with other processes. That is a fundamental cost advantage."

Is liquid hydrogen technically feasible? 

"We come from the LNG world. GasLog, our sister company, has more than thirty LNG vessels. We understand how to work with cold fuels. Hydrogen must be cooled to minus 253 degrees Celsius to become liquid. That sounds extreme, but the technology exists. Aerospace engineers helped us: liquid hydrogen has been used in rockets for decades.

We have also solved the storage issue. The tanks we are building have a diameter of 20 meters and are double-walled. There is a vacuum between the two walls for maximum insulation. As a result, we have zero boil-off losses. Every kilogram of hydrogen that goes in, comes out. We have tested this extensively at a test facility in Munich. Those tests have been successfully completed."

What does the EcoLog project in Amsterdam actually look like? 

"We have secured land in Afrikahaven East. In the first phase, we will build eight storage tanks, in which we can store liquid hydrogen for more than a month. The target import capacity is 200,000 tons of liquid hydrogen per year, with the option to scale up to 600,000 tons later on.

Upon arrival, the hydrogen can be utilized in two ways. We can regasify it, just like at LNG terminals, and deliver it via pipeline to industrial off-takers. Alternatively, we can distribute it in liquid form by inland vessel, truck, or train. Amsterdam is located next to a CO₂ pipeline. When we regasify hydrogen, cold energy is released. We can use this cold to liquefy CO₂. This connects two transitions in a smart way."

Where does the project stand now, and what is the schedule? 

"We have submitted the permit application. We have been working with the environmental agency for three and a half years now. It is a constructive process, and we have already achieved important milestones. Because no chemical process takes place at our terminal and there are no NOx emissions, the environmental impact is minimal. We hope to have the final permit by the end of this year.

We then hope to make the investment decision in 2027. If we succeed, we can receive the first liquid hydrogen in Amsterdam by the end of 2030. We expect to be able to start delivering to off-takers in 2031.”

Who is involved in the chain? 

“We have streamlined the chain to four parties. To start with, a producer in Oman, the Indian company ACME, which will produce green hydrogen using cheap renewable energy. The Omani state energy company OQ will liquefy the hydrogen. Then we, as EcoLog, are involved in the transport and storage at the import terminal in Amsterdam. Finally, we need off-takers. Making an investment decision with 20 parties at the same time is impossible. With four parties, it is manageable.

Discussions with Oman are currently the most advanced. The country has a central hydrogen authority and multiple production consortia. Oman has cheap solar and wind energy, which keeps production costs low. During the Sultan's state visit to the Netherlands, all parties sat down together for the first time. We are now moving toward commercial contracts.”

What is still holding back the investment decision? 

"Financing. The total investment to get the entire chain off the ground is 9.5 billion euros. All parties are putting in their own money, but for an enterprise of this scale, bank financing is also required. Banks see the importance, they think it's great, but they want to see 15-year off-take agreements before they lend money. That is a problem because off-takers do not yet want to commit to a 15-year contract at a price they do not know. That is the classic chicken-and-egg situation with new energy chains.

We don't need subsidies, but rather parties willing to act as guarantors and thereby reduce financial risks. If the governments of the countries involved are willing to share some of the risk, we can secure the financing. Every minister I speak with recognizes the importance of energy security. In times of geopolitical uncertainty surrounding the supply of oil and gas, it is increasingly important to establish international supply chains for renewable energy. The will is there. Now we need to translate it into concrete guarantees."

Which countries involved can help with guarantees? 

“Oman has an interest as a producer, the Netherlands as an import and trading hub, and Germany as a major industrial off-taker. But Japan can also play a role, as Kawasaki provides the shipping technology for liquid hydrogen. Oman, the Netherlands, Germany, and Japan complement each other in the chain. They all have a stake in its success."

Who are the off-takers you are targeting? 

"Tata Steel is the largest potential off-taker in the Amsterdam region. We have signed a letter of intent for both the supply of hydrogen and the removal of CO₂. This is a closed loop: we supply liquid hydrogen, and we use the cold released during regasification to liquefy CO₂ for transport to storage locations in the North Sea. That combination makes the project unique.

But Tata is not the only one. Freight transport is a huge market. A hydrogen truck can travel 1,200 kilometers on 80 kilograms of hydrogen and refuel in twelve minutes. That cannot be matched by batteries for heavy, long-distance transport. Truck manufacturers are eagerly waiting for the scaling up of hydrogen trucks.

Data centers are a surprising market. There are already hydrogen turbines generating electricity "behind the meter," without a grid connection and thus without congestion issues. We are working with a number of data centers in the Amsterdam region. We can also use the cold from liquid hydrogen to cool data centers. This makes liquid hydrogen an exceptionally attractive energy source for data centers.

And finally, shipping. Cruise lines like Viking are building their first ships powered by liquid hydrogen. Fifteen years ago, the first cruise ships switched to LNG. Now they are looking at hydrogen."

How important is Tata Steel to the success of the project? 

"Tata is important, but the chain does not depend on it. The strength of our project is precisely that we serve multiple markets: industry, mobility, data centers, shipping. If one market develops more slowly, others can absorb the impact. But if Tata makes a final investment decision to decarbonize its steel plant with hydrogen, that will, of course, provide a huge boost. In that case, it will be by far the largest industrial off-taker of hydrogen in the region."

What is still needed to take the final steps? 

"First, the permit, which we expect this year. Second, government guarantees to make financing possible. Third, clarity on the Hynetwork hydrogen network. As long as the hydrogen pipelines are not yet in place, we will temporarily work with inland barges to deliver liquid hydrogen to off-takers in the Netherlands and Germany.

And finally: patience. Success in these kinds of complex projects often takes ten years. LNG also took decades to become big. We are convinced that liquid hydrogen will follow the same path. The infrastructure is being built, the chain is being closed. It takes time, but it is going to happen."