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Building a hydrogen network requires working in an area where people, industry and nature coexist in close proximity. That is why we not only focus on engineering and safety when constructing the hydrogen network, but also on everything that grows, blooms, flies and walks. Ecology is a key part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) . Stijn Nollen, ecology adviser at Gasunie, explains how we are taking great care to protect nature during the construction of Hydrogen Network North Sea Canal Area.

On Thursday 29 June, Hynetwork Services and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate organised a Market update event for (future) customers. We look back on a well-attended meeting with 110 people in the room and around 90 online participants.

Gasunie has plans to gradually convert the natural gas network into a hydrogen network. After all, having a sustainable energy system means that we must move away from natural gas as a fossil fuel. The expectation is that hydrogen will take its place. But is converting the natural gas grid to hydrogen economically and technically feasible? Does it deliver climate benefits? And, first and foremost, is it safe?

‘The hydrogen network is bringing positive developments to the entire region, and we need to make them even more visible to residents.’ Hynetwork (a subsidiary of Gasunie) is building a hydrogen network in the southwest of the Netherlands. That network will be used to supply industry in Zeeland with hydrogen and make it more sustainable. We spoke to Maarten den Dekker, executive board member at North Sea Port, about the importance of the hydrogen network for the region.

The development of the national hydrogen network will mainly use existing natural gas pipelines. These will become available as less and less natural gas transport occurs in the coming years.

Hynetwork will be linking the Dutch hydrogen network with Germany and Belgium over the next few years. ‘We’ve signed the first two agreements in a series of what will ultimately be seven cross-border connections with our neighbours,’ explains Harry Smit, who is responsible for cross-border hydrogen connections at Gasunie subsidiary Hynetwork.

Hynetwork completes first connection of major hydrogen plant to Dutch hydrogen network Gasunie subsidiary Hynetwork has connected the first hydrogen plant to the Dutch hydrogen network. The customer connection’s so-called ‘golden weld’ was made between the 200 MW Holland Hydrogen 1 plant at the Rotterdam Maasvlakte and the hydrogen pipeline. The connection work was performed by contractor Hanab. This is the first time a green hydrogen producer has been connected directly to the national hydrogen infrastructure. It is a huge milestone for the project team, as this is the first time a green hydrogen producer has been connected directly to the national network.

In early March, Hynetwork began preparatory work at the Gasunie facility in Vilsteren. We aim to convert an existing natural gas pipeline from Tjuchem (province of Groningen) to Ommen. As part of the preparations, we are currently constructing a bypass for the transport of natural gas. This allows us to safely convert the existing pipeline for hydrogen transport once the hydrogen network can be realized in the region.

Hynetwork Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gasunie, is developing a new hydrogen pipeline in the Port of Rotterdam. This pipeline will be the backbone of the local hydrogen infrastructure and the first piece of Hydrogen Network Netherlands. On 27 October, His Majesty the King gave the green light for construction.

Van de 32 kilometer waterstofleiding die we in het Rotterdamse havengebied aanleggen, gaat het grootste deel diep de in de grond inMost of the 32 kilometres of hydrogen pipeline that we are laying in the Rotterdam port area will be buried deep in the ground. The only exception is at Welplaatweg, where a pipeline viaduct will carry the pipes high above the ground.

In the last three months of this year, we organised information sessions with market parties in the clusters for the second time. The aim was to inform them about the progress of the hydrogen network, exchange knowledge and stimulate discussion. We look back on a number of productive sessions in Limburg, the North Sea Canal Area and Rotterdam. We will continue the information sessions in the other clusters in 2026.

We discuss the importance of the DRC for the Netherlands and for our neighbours across the border in conversation with Sasa Janković, project manager for spatial integration at the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, and Gerben van Dijk, strategic local community manager at Gasunie. How does the DRC help strengthen Dutch infrastructure and international collaboration? And also: What does it mean for industry, local authorities and citizens?

Over the coming years, Gasunie subsidiary Hynetwork will be rolling out the national hydrogen network for the Netherlands in various stages.

Construction of the national hydrogen network is well under way and preparations have begun in the eastern Netherlands. Joost de Wijs has been the regional manager for this part of the hydrogen network since 1 March. That means he is the first point of contact for people in the surrounding area, and he ensures that everyone is well informed and that any concerns are shared and addressed. We spoke to him about his work, the project and what people can expect from him.

On 5 October, Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Rob Jetten sent a letter to the Lower House of Parliament about progress in the Delta Rhine Corridor (DRC). The DRC is a cluster of underground pipelines and cables being developed in the pipeline corridor that runs from Rotterdam via Moerdijk to South Limburg and on to Germany.

On Wednesday 9 July, we welcomed future customers to our construction site in Vilsteren, near Ommen. Here, at the site where we are already working on converting the natural gas network for hydrogen transport, we gathered with stakeholders from across the value chain to showcase what we are doing in the region. Representatives from RWE, ENGIE, Equinor, VoltH2, Lhyfe, HyStock and GETEC were present.

Energy infrastructure company Gasunie has taken the investment decision for the first part of its national hydrogen network. Gasunie board member Hans Coenen announced this today during the Hydrogen Europe Summer Market in Brussels. The investment of this first section exceeds €100 million and is being developed by Gasunie's subsidiary Hynetwork Services. Work will start after the summer in Rotterdam. This nationwide hydrogen network, which will cost around €1.5 billion, will connect major industrial regions in the Netherlands and surrounding countries, such as Germany and Belgium, from 2030 onwards. In addition, the network will have connections to import terminals at seaports, domestic hydrogen production and large-scale hydrogen storage facilities. Last year, Hynetwork Services was commissioned by the government to develop the hydrogen network.

In April 2022, Hynetwork Services presented a consultation version of the transport and connection contracts that parties must sign to gain access to the future national hydrogen network.

Hynetwork is considering several potential route options at various locations for Hydrogen Network Western Netherlands. In total, four options are being evaluated in the area north of Lekkerkerk, near the Waalbos and the Kijfhoek railway marshalling yard. These options have emerged from consultations with local stakeholders and technical studies.

Laying new pipelines or retrofitting current natural gas pipelines is not a simple matter. Before starting any work, we want to know exactly what is going on underground. We also carefully assess the impact of the pipeline on the surrounding area. That is why in recent years we have worked together with Antea Group to carry out condition assessments. Jan Rolf Staal is technical specialist for soil and conditions for Hydrogen Network North Sea Canal Area at Hynetwork. He tells us what condition assessments are, why they are needed, what stage we have reached with them and what we do with the results.

De voorbereidingen voor de aanleg van de eerste 32 kilometer waterstofpijpleiding van de Maasvlakte naar Pernis liggen op schema. De omgevingsdienst DCMR (Dienst Centraal Milieubeheer Rijnmond) doet onderzoek naar de verwachte impact van alle waterstofplannen in de regio op het milieu. Axel Pel, programmamanager Verduurzaming Industrie bij DCMR, licht het standpunt van de Milieudienst Rijnmond toe over de nieuwe leiding en over waterstof als groene brandstof. 'We rollen de groene loper uit voor duurzame initiatieven.'

Rens Wilbers steps back, Stephan Tiemessen steps up In the coming years, Hynetwork will be working to build a future-proof hydrogen network in the southwest Netherlands . That project plays a key role in the energy transition and is taking shape one step at a time, in collaboration with the local community.

We can reuse an existing natural gas pipeline between Spaarndam and Zuidbroek for Hydrogen Network Western Netherlands, and we will soon adapt it to transport hydrogen. Before we can begin, we are investigating the ground at various locations along the pipeline. That work began in September.

How can you carry out a large-scale energy project while ensuring the least possible impact on the environment? That question applies to all Hynetwork projects and is the starting point for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Nathalie Kaarls, project procedure and environmental reporting coordinator at Hynetwork, takes us through phase 2 of the EIA for the future hydrogen network in the North Sea Canal area.