Delta Rhine Corridor decision provides foothold on way to making industry more sustainable
The Delta Rhine Corridor energy infrastructure project will focus on building the infrastructure for hydrogen and CO2. This was announced today by the Dutch Minister for Climate Policy and Green Growth Sophie Hermans in a letter to the Dutch House of Representatives. With this decision, the government is responding positively to the wish of the market and the House of Representatives to realise the hydrogen and CO2infrastructure with great urgency. Industry needs these pipelines to make it more sustainable in the short term. Read the full text of the letter to Parliament (in Dutch).
Thanks to this adjustment, Gasunie expects to be able to commission the hydrogen pipeline in the Delta Rhine Corridor (DRC) between 2031 and 2032. In the case of CO2 this will be 2033 at the latest. It has become evident that a joint approach that would also include DC cables and a pipeline for ammonia would extend the timeline by many years.
No time to lose
Gasunie Executive Board member Hans Coenen says, ‘Thanks to the government making this choice, we can construct our infrastructure for hydrogen and CO2 as soon as possible. We are pleased about this decision given its importance for the sustainable future of Dutch and European industry. And we have no time to lose in offering industrial parties in the Netherlands and beyond its borders sufficient opportunities to become more sustainable. We will do everything in our power to realise this west-east connection as soon as possible, in good cooperation with the Ministry, local communities and other stakeholders.’
A new change to the roll-out plan
Now that the DRC decision has been announced, we can proceed with project development for the hydrogen network. We shared preliminary information about the revised schedules in October 2024. On 10 December 2024, we will start consultations on a new proposal to change the rollout plan. This proposal will be published on the Hynetwork website. It will outline the timelines for building the different subsections of the hydrogen network.
Webinar: 17 December 10.30 a.m.
We look forward to informing you about the rollout plan in a webinar on 17 December at 10.30 a.m. The webinar will include time for questions.
Delta Rhine Corridor for hydrogen and CO2
The Delta Rhine Corridor is a cluster of underground pipelines and cables in the pipeline corridor currently being developed and that will eventually run from Rotterdam via Moerdijk to the Dutch province of Limburg. Laying pipelines for hydrogen and CO2 will help heavy industry in the Netherlands and Germany become more sustainable and will cut CO2 emissions considerably. This way we can make a major contribution towards achieving the Netherlands’ climate and sustainability goals. Furthermore, the DRC strengthens the strategic and economic position of the industrial areas in north-western Europe, in particular in the Netherlands and Germany. Read more on the Gasunie website.
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