Planning update Hydrogen Network Netherlands
The energy transition in the Netherlands must advance rapidly. With our infrastructure, we want to help industries become sustainable in the Netherlands. This will keep us an competitive location for industry, which is also good for our economy and employment. The development of all these transition projects will benefit from clarity on the availability of infrastructure. That is why Hynetwork (a subsidiary of Gasunie) is currently working hard to update the roll-out plan for the Dutch hydrogen network. This is necessary partly due to developments around the Delta Rhine Corridor (in Dutch). In the webinar on 4 July 2024, we explained that this update also anticipates shifts in the development of other routes. Although this round of updates will not be completed until the end of the year, we are giving you an early update now.
We are doing so because we can imagine that, in view of the start date of the Subsidy Scheme for Large-scale Hydrogen Production Using an Electrolyser (OWE), market parties need as clear an understanding as possible into the planning of the hydrogen network. One condition of the OWE is that an electrolyser must be operational five years after the subsidy is awarded.
What will be ready by 2030 at the latest?
In advance of the final network schedule and roll-out plan, we are initially focusing on realising the infrastructure within the industrial clusters. This way, the network within four clusters will be available before, or in, 2030. These are the following clusters:
- Northern Netherlands, including the connection to the HyStock hydrogen storage facility and cross-border connections to Germany;
- North Sea Canal Area;
- Rotterdam;
- Southwest Netherlands, including a cross-border connection to Belgium.
We state the above based on what we call a P90 schedule. This means that with 90% certainty, the network can be constructed and ready for use within that schedule.
Besides these four clusters, hydrogen infrastructure is also needed in other parts of the country. This involves connections between the industrial clusters (including the east-west connection) and with the Chemelot industrial cluster. Based on current views, this infrastructure is unlikely to be completed by 2030.
At the end of this year, when we have completed the update of our network planning, we will be able to give more specific insight into the expected realisation times of all these subsections.
Individual customer connections
The information above is based on the timelines for building the hydrogen network. Planning for individual customer connections will proceed through the process set up for this purpose with Connection Study Agreements (CSA). Parties that have not yet submitted a CSA are urged to contact us as soon as possible.
What’s next?
We expect to consult on an updated roll-out plan by the end of this year. This roll-out plan will then be adopted by the Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth. In any case, we will then to organise a webinar on the updated roll-out plan. We will keep you informed about this.
Do you have any questions in response to this announcement? If so, please contact us at [email protected].
For more information on the OWE tender, RVO is organising a webinar in the near future. Hynetwork will also attend this webinar to provide more information. Please check the OWE website for date and registration.
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