Connecting the Netherlands and Europe: the impact of Delta Rhine Corridor

Sasa explains, ‘The Delta Rhine Corridor West connects industrial companies located at the Port of Rotterdam to Boxtel via Moerdijk. DRC West enables these parties to connect to the national hydrogen network and the national CO₂ network. Not only does this help make the Netherlands more sustainable but it also contributes towards enlarging the European networks for hydrogen and CO₂.

In the Netherlands, DRC West plays a key role as a connection between hydrogen clusters in the provinces of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Noord-Brabant and Zeeland. What’s more, the Dutch hydrogen network in Zeeland at the border with Belgium will also be connected to the Belgian hydrogen network. And via the CO₂ pipelines that will eventually be laid in the Delta Rhine Corridor East, to run between Boxtel and Venlo, a direct connection will be created with industrial companies in Germany. In short, for the Netherlands and the neighbouring countries, the Delta Rhine Corridor West is an important link in the energy transition.’

Gerben adds, ‘I see the pipelines in the Delta Rhine Corridor as being the most important connections in the energy transition for the Netherlands and indispensable for Germany. The hydrogen pipeline in DRC West will enable the creation of an integrated, end-to-end network through which hydrogen can be transported throughout the Netherlands, as well as to places abroad and to storage facilities.

The CO₂ pipelines between Venlo and the Maasvlakte industrial area also play a major role. Through these pipelines, captured CO₂ can be transported to plants and to other pipelines, which can then transport it to depleted gas fields deep under the seabed of the North Sea. Both the hydrogen and CO₂ pipelines offer industrial companies in the Netherlands and Germany a way to cut their CO₂ emissions relatively quickly. And as we all know, those emissions need to be reduced as quickly as possible.’

Sasa says, ‘As project manager for spatial integration, I ensure that we complete all steps of the Project Procedure in accordance with the Dutch Environment and Planning Act correctly and on time. This procedure is needed to take a plan and develop this into a Project Decision. To do this, we conduct research, coordinate with the parties involved, and arrange the necessary permits. There are legal regulations we must comply with in order to carry out the project, and I ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible and according to plan.’

Gerben explains, ‘As strategic local community manager, I, together with my colleague Merel, am often the first point of contact for anyone involved with or affected by the DRC West project. We receive and handle questions, comments and concerns. We also contact residents, businesses, government bodies, and organisations, like those concerned with nature or other local interests, for example.

Our goal is to ensure that the DRC West team is fully aware of the impact of this project on residents, local communities and the local environment. We look to see what questions or concerns people who live near the planned pipelines have and how they feel about the construction. Then, together with the team, we look into whether and how we can include the input from the local community and local stakeholders in the design process.

I invite anyone who has an interest in the correct handling of the implementation of the DRC West project to contact us and enter into discussions with us.’ 

Sasa says, ‘DRC West runs through an area where many other plans and projects are already underway, such as government energy projects and provincial and municipal spatial plans. The challenge is to ensure that everything is properly coordinated so that different things do not get in the way of each other.

To ensure this, we will work closely with various parties, like government authorities, interest groups, businesses and local residents. We will be sharing the developments in the DRC West project during the entire process and we will be listening to ideas and concerns. How we will do this is explained in our Notification of Intention and Proposal for Participation and in our participation plan, which we will publish after the summer. 

We furthermore have to conduct a lot of research to determine how we can best carry out the project. The studies concerned are described in the memorandum on the scope and level of detail. We will also be publishing this document after the summer. The results of these studies are important, and we must coordinate these findings well so that we make the right choices for the following steps. And that’s a major challenge, too.’

Gerben adds, ‘I agree with Sasa. A lot is happening along the pipeline route, especially around Rotterdam and Moerdijk. A lot of new energy projects are being carried out there, like laying pipelines and cables and building stations to facilitate the transmission and distribution of energy. This can have an impact on the people who live there.

The pipelines are being laid in a special corridor reserved for pipelines. But even in that corridor we have to look carefully to see how everything fits. Sometimes we have to make adjustments, and that can have consequences for the local communities. 

Though we cannot completely exclude inconvenience and nuisance, we do want to ensure that this is kept to a minimum. We do this by talking to residents and other stakeholders and by finding solutions together.’

Sasa: ‘For me, it’s that we are contributing to achieving social goals. This project not only helps make the Netherlands more sustainable but also plays a role in the broader energy transition in Europe. We are offering companies a way to continue their activities while doing so in a cleaner, socially responsible way.

What also motivates me a lot are the people around me. This project is so big that we could not possibly realise it on our own. So I find the collaboration with my colleagues, peers and other stakeholders very valuable. We learn from each other – from each other’s knowledge, skills and way of working. Together we are getting ever closer to reaching the central goal, and I think that’s wonderful.’

Gerben: ‘I completely agree that our collaboration is exhilarating. We are living in special times. More and more people are feeling the urgency of taking action to counter climate change. I think it’s great not only seeing the transition from fossil to renewable energy taking place but to be actively contributing to it as well.

For me, that change cannot happen fast enough. I enjoy sharing the story of DRC West outside the company and bringing the feedback of those in the local communities back to the company.’