Detailed design for Hydrogen Network North Sea Canal Area complete. ‘We now know exactly where and how we will lay the pipeline’

‘The design has been finalised, and that’s a real milestone’, Herbert says. ‘We’ve gone from the basic design (2022) to the preliminary design, and now to the detailed design. That means we know down to the millimetre where the pipeline will be laid and how we will build it.’

Peter adds: ‘At REARC, we created the design for the new hydrogen pipeline and the modifications to the existing natural gas pipelines. From drawings to foundations, loads and depths: everything has been calculated and worked out. The shut-off locations and their systems have also been fully designed. This detailed design will enable the contractor to start work soon.’

Before deciding where to lay the new pipe, we first had to map out the many cables and pipes already in place. Peter: ‘You need to know exactly what is already there and what might be planned for in the future. We use systems that contain all known infrastructure, even that underground. Any time we came across other pipes in the route of our pipeline, we had to talk to the owner. That takes a lot of time, especially in areas like IJmond and the Port of Amsterdam where we cross many cables and pipelines. But it’s essential: everyone has to agree to the location of the new pipeline.’

Herbert: ‘The area is very crowded, so coordinating everything was a massive puzzle. But it was one that we were able to solve successfully with all the parties involved.’

The new hydrogen pipeline in the North Sea Canal Area will be built using a variety of techniques: open excavation, horizontal directional drilling and ploughing. Herbert: ‘The technique we use depends entirely on the surrounding area. In nature reserves and under motorways or ports, you might be more likely to opt for drilling. But in rural areas where there is plenty of space, you can use open excavation or ploughing.’

Ploughing from Spaarndam to the Houtrak area

Peter: ‘The section from the A9 motorway at Spaarndam to the Houtrak area is mainly pastureland. The ploughing technique lets you create long straight sections. This makes it very suitable for an area like this section of the route, where we don’t have to cross any obstacles (such as roads). Furthermore, the soil in this area is weak, which makes digging or drilling more difficult. Ploughing causes less disturbance to the soil during construction. This also means less inconvenience for the property owners.’

Long boreholes under the Port of Amsterdam

Instead of burying the pipes along roads, cycle paths and industrial estates, a large section of the new pipeline will be laid using boreholes. Herbert: ‘The big advantage is that this technique causes less disruption to the surrounding area.’

Herbert spoke enthusiastically about the clever drilling in the area around the Port of Amsterdam: ‘We’ve designed long curved boreholes under areas like Amerikahaven and Westhaven. This significantly reduces the impact on the port area. The port can continue to operate as normal while we work underneath it.’

Minimal visible work in IJmond

Peter: ‘In the IJmond area, we’ve designed the project so that we cross more than six kilometres underground and only need to work in a few places. We’ll pass under the Velsen industrial estate and follow the Velsertraverse in Beverwijk, but thanks to four horizontal directional drillings, most of the surrounding area will not even notice us.’
More information and animated videos about the construction techniques can be found at www.hynetwork.nl/bouw (in Dutch).

Both engineers mention the same thing: coordination with the surrounding area. Herbert: ‘The number of external parties was a real challenge. They range from many cable and pipeline operators to municipalities and large organisations like TenneT, the Port of Amsterdam and Tata Steel.’

Nevertheless, that process went very well. ‘We stepped up together and worked as one team’, Herbert says. ‘The collaboration between REARC and Hynetwork was excellent. We came up with solutions collectively, even with the many external parties involved.’

Herbert: ‘Now the contractor will make a final offer based on our design. We’ll also use the design to apply for permits and continue working on the environmental impact assessment (EIA phase 2). Everything is now finalised: pipeline routes with construction depths and positions of shut-off locations.’

Meanwhile, construction preparations are also continuing. ‘The contractor was already involved during the design process. This way, we can be sure that what we come up with at the drawing board will actually be buildable (starting in 2028).’

• Read all about the construction techniques (in Dutch) at: www.hynetwork.nl/bouw.
• Look at the map of Hydrogen Network North Sea Canal Area (in Dutch) to see which technique is used where.
• * REARC is a partnership between Rotterdam Engineering, Amsterdam Engineering, Arcadis, KH Engineering and Clafis Ingenieurs.