Thierry de Heer (Municipality of Woensdrecht) named Hydrogen Alderman of the Year
Alderman Thierry de Heer of the Municipality of Woensdrecht was today chosen by the professional jury - consisting of Carolien Gehrels and Nienke Homan - as “Hydrogen Alderman of the Year.” A strong shortlist, with candidates extremely close in terms of quality and impact, ultimately saw De Heer’s spatial and administrative courage tip the balance.
In its assessment, the jury explicitly looked for aldermen who set an example for others by showing how hydrogen can demonstrably contribute to the energy system of today and tomorrow. While each nominee excelled in their own area—from international cooperation to the built environment—the jury opted for the breakthrough in the field of spatial planning decision-making in Woensdrecht.
A strong shortlist
The election was marked by an impressive field, with the jury stressing that the transition to hydrogen must be accelerated on all these different fronts at the same time. The jury expressed great appreciation for the other contenders:
- Siwart A. Mackintosh (Kapelle): Praised as a system innovator who managed to solve local grid congestion using a unique legal arrangement, with unanimous support from his council.
- Robert Simons (Rotterdam): The undisputed international ambassador who positions the Port of Rotterdam as a crucial hydrogen hub and, through trade missions, opens doors to, among others, Brazil and the United States.
- Petra ’t Hoen (Goeree-Overflakkee): The societal pioneer who, through successful lobbying (including a €6 million subsidy), is bringing the highly complex dossier of hydrogen in the built environment (“Gas-free City”) into practice.
- Philip Broeksma (Groningen): The strategic ecosystem builder who, as director, is shaping the “Hydrogen Valley” and linking projects in an integrated vision toward a CO₂-neutral 2035.
- Roy Luca (Woerden): The clear public and entrepreneur favourite with the most nominations, praised for his pragmatic can-do culture and for unblocking permits for local refuelling infrastructure.
- Jaimi van Essen (Deventer): The alderman who does not wait for the national backbone, but launched the first regional hydrogen network by forging industry and infrastructure into a functioning chain.
The deciding factor: administrative courage in Woensdrecht
Despite the major impact of his fellow aldermen, Thierry de Heer secured the title by breaking through the familiar “chicken-and-egg” debate. Where many initiatives get stuck at the level of intentions, De Heer dared to make a planologically sensitive choice by granting a permit for a large-scale electrolyser (70 MW) to replace a pig farm in agricultural land.
According to the jury report, this decision is a “win-win.” Locally, it creates new economic activity; at system level, it directly contributes to the hydrogen corridor in West Brabant and eases pressure on the overloaded power grid.
According to jury members Gehrels and Homan, the winner—together with the other nominees—shows that the energy transition is not decided only within ministries. “De Heer demonstrates that a relatively small municipality, without a world port or a G40 city, is capable of making major system moves with an impact that reaches beyond municipal borders and looks sharply to the future.”
If you tell me whether you want British English or American English, I can fine-tune wording (e.g., “spatial planning” vs “land-use planning,” “alderman” vs “deputy mayor”).
