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Preparations for the start of the project procedure for the Delta Rhine Corridor West are in full swing. DRC West is the route for CO₂ and hydrogen from the Maasvlakte to Boxtel. We are exploring the route, engaging with local stakeholders, and preparing the publication of the necessary documents for the project procedure.

Hydrogen has played a role in Dutch industry for decades. As we transition to a more sustainable energy supply, new applications are also being explored. The question is not whether hydrogen is suitable for use everywhere, but where it can contribute to a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy system. Read this article to learn how hydrogen can contribute to sustainability, and the role it can play in the Netherlands.

Construction of the hydrogen network in the north of the Netherlands is progressing well. Gasunie is on track to have the northern part of the national network completed by the second quarter of 2029. The challenge now lies in kick-starting production and offtake.

On 30 May, the Minister for Climate and Energy Policy and the Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy published a letter to parliament titled ‘Progress on hydrogen policy’. The letter addressed issues including hydrogen quality for Hydrogen Network Netherlands.

Construction of the 32-kilometer pipeline for transporting hydrogen in the Rotterdam port area is nearing completion. This pipeline in Rotterdam is not only the start of the national hydrogen network in the Netherlands, but also the first section of a future European hydrogen network. The infrastructure is intended to help industrial companies become more sustainable and is therefore a crucial link in the energy transition.

Gasunie’s hydrogen pipeline linking up Dow Benelux and Yara has been commissioned. This is the first time ever that an existing main gas transport pipeline has been made suitable for the transport of hydrogen. The gas transport pipeline, which was no longer in service, will now be used to transport hydrogen for industrial purposes. Underground transport through the gas network is an efficient, safe way of transporting hydrogen.

Agreements signed for a hydrogen pipeline following the Green Deal on Hydrogen for the region Yara to receive hydrogen from Dow Benelux for industrial use thanks to Gasunie’s transport pipeline As well as cutting energy consumption, the hydrogen pipeline will save 10,000 tonnes of CO 2 Successful industrial sustainable growth partnership as part of the Smart Delta Resources platform Dow Benelux, Yara and Gasunie have signed agreements for the implementation of the Green Deal on Hydrogen for the region in Sas van Gent’s industrial museum. Together with Green Deal partner ICL-IP, the three parties intend to share hydrogen for industrial purposes through a gas transport pipeline that is no longer in service. Underground transport through the gas network is an efficient, safe way of transporting hydrogen. The collaboration is part of the Smart Delta Resources platform’s industrial sustainable growth partnership, which is facilitated by the Zeeland development company Impuls.

Hydrogen may well be the most important link in the energy transition. Hynetwork is building the hydrogen superhighway in the Netherlands, connecting supply and demand. The first 32 kilometres of this network have been laid in the Rotterdam port area, and the final pipes were welded together in mid-August! With this first section of the national hydrogen network, we are laying the foundation for a future in which the Port of Rotterdam will become a major energy gateway for Europe and will be connected to Germany, Belgium, and the rest of the Netherlands.

Four companies in the North Sea Canal area are taking the next concrete step to connect to Gasunie’s future hydrogen network because they want to start producing or using hydrogen. Vattenfall, Sunoco, HyCC and Tata Steel have signed a Connection Study Agreement (CSA) with Hynetwork to start preparing the connections. The interest comes at a time when the contours of the hydrogen network in the North Sea Canal area, part of the national hydrogen network, are beginning to take shape. The preferred route for the future hydrogen network in this industrial region was announced last month.

17 December, we broadcast a live webinar on the update of our planning and the new proposal to adjust the roll-out plan. We talked to, Ingrid Post (Cluster director North Sea Canal Area), Marcel Galjee (Chairman NLHydrogen) and Joost Hooghiem (director Waterstofnetwerk Nederland).

Hynetwork Services has published an overview of the preferences of market parties for the technical specifications of the Dutch national hydrogen transport network. The overview is based on the response by (potential) users to a market consultation carried out last year. The results will be used as input for the final (technical) specifications for the transport network. Friday 15 October, a webinar on the development of the national hydrogen infrastructure will be held for interested parties.

His Majesty the King symbolically activated the first section of the national hydrogen network in Rotterdam on Wednesday, 20 May. Together with Minister Stientje van Veldhoven of Climate and Green Growth and Gasunie CEO Willemien Terpstra, the King marked the completion of the first pipeline segment in the Port of Rotterdam: a 32-kilometre pipeline connecting the Maasvlakte and Pernis. This marks an important milestone in the development of a Dutch and European hydrogen infrastructure.

A small section of the potential route near Donckse Velden in Ridderkerk presents a number of challenges. As a result, Hynetwork is exploring several route options within a study area between Bolnes and Slikkerveer. Regional Manager Juanne Rours explains why this is necessary.

Recently, a specialised inspection was carried out on an existing natural gas pipeline that is part of the Hydrogen Network North Sea Canal Area and Hydrogen Network Western Netherlands projects. This pipeline is being prepared for a new future: transporting hydrogen. But how do we ensure that a pipeline can be used for hydrogen? The first step is to assess the condition of the pipes. Pigging engineer Patrick de Vries explains how this process works.

His Majesty the King will perform the starting ceremony for the construction of the first part of the national hydrogen network on the Tweede Maasvlakte in Rotterdam on the afternoon of Friday 27 October.

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.

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.

Valves are an important part of the hydrogen network. They help us control the flow of hydrogen safely. Valves allow us to temporarily isolate sections of a pipeline, when necessary, for example during maintenance or in the event of a fault.

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.

Hynetwork and the German transmission system operators Open Grid Europe and Thyssengas signed an agreement to jointly develop a cross‑border hydrogen connection between the Netherlands and Germany on Wednesday, 20 May. The two national hydrogen networks will be interconnected, making use wherever possible of existing natural gas pipelines that will be repurposed for hydrogen transport. The companies are aiming to realise the connection between Zevenaar and Elten around 2031. For Hynetwork, this is the fourth agreement relating to cross‑border connections with Germany and Belgium.

The first major pipeline section of the Dutch hydrogen network has been filled with hydrogen. To fill the 32km-long pipeline, 32 tonnes of RFNBO-certified green hydrogen were procured, along with customised unloading infrastructure needed for the first pipeline cleaning and filling operations. The work was done in partnership with Plug Power Inc., which was selected following a public procurement process.

A shaft twenty-five metres deep. Pipes eighteen metres long that cannot be lowered in one piece. So they are cut in half, welded back together underground, and pulled through. This is how construction progressed in Rotterdam on the first section of the national hydrogen network: 32 kilometres of pipeline, right through the port area, ready for industrial connections.

Good news for the energy transition in Southwest Netherlands: the State Secretary for Climate and Green Growth has selected the preferred route for the hydrogen network. This route is referred to as the Preferred Alternative (PA). This marks an important milestone towards the development of the hydrogen network.