What is hydrogen?
Hydrogen is a molecule composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded to each other (H2). Free hydrogen does not occur naturally on Earth, as the molecule is always part of another substance, like water (H2O). Hydrogen can be used as a feedstock or fuel in industry, as a fuel for transport, or it can be converted into electricity or heat using fuel cells.
Grey, blue and green hydrogen
Hydrogen is not new in the economy. It is currently an important feedstock for industry, like in the production of artificial fertiliser for example. A total of 800,000 metric tonnes of hydrogen is used in the Netherlands on an annual basis. This hydrogen is generally transported by road.
Hydrogen is currently produced by breaking down the complex molecules of natural gas into smaller molecules using various ‘cracking’ methods. During the cracking process, the methane molecule (CH4) is separated into hydrogen (H2) and carbon (C). Because CO2 is released in the process we call this ‘grey hydrogen’. When these carbon emissions are captured and stored or reused, we call the resulting gas ‘blue hydrogen’.
For the emerging new energy system, the plan is to make use of a third category of hydrogen, ‘green hydrogen’. This hydrogen can be produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable energy from wind or solar, for example. This makes green hydrogen fully clean and green. We expect that green hydrogen will play a major role when a lot of renewable electricity becomes available, sourced from offshore wind in particular. In the short term, blue hydrogen can be used to help develop the hydrogen economy and make major strides towards reducing carbon emissions.
Storage and transport
An advantage with hydrogen is that it can be transported efficiently in large quantities, making transport considerably cheaper compared to electricity. Storage in large quantities is also perfectly feasible – and necessary, too, for times when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining, for example. This makes hydrogen a perfect complement for green electricity. Read more about hydrogen transport and transmission.
Storage in salt caverns
Given that the supply and consumption of hydrogen are not constant there is a need for hydrogen storage. It is with this in mind that Gasunie subsidiary HyStock is developing a salt cavern in Zuidwending near Veendam for the large-scale storage of hydrogen. If everything goes according to plan, the underground storage facility will be operational in 2027. The facility will start with one salt cavern. It is expected that four caverns will be needed for the storage of hydrogen by 2030 to meet market demand. The hydrogen storage facility will be accessible to all parties that want to store hydrogen. Read more about HyStock’s hydrogen storage.
Production and import of hydrogen
The Netherlands has everything it needs to make hydrogen a success story. We can use the existing natural gas network to transmit the hydrogen, and the relatively shallow North Sea is extremely suitable for installing wind turbines that can supply green electricity for the production of hydrogen. All the same, the demand for hydrogen will ultimately exceed local production. This means that hydrogen will also have to be imported on a large scale. At the Port of Rotterdam, Gasunie, HES International and Vopak are joining forces and sharing knowledge to develop a terminal for the import of ammonia as a green hydrogen carrier, the ACE Terminal.
