Dutch-German cooperation secures European future of hydrogen

As a result of increasing cooperation between Dutch and German companies, hydrogen can play its important role in a sustainable European energy system in the future. This was the message from EWE and Gasunie to King Willem Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands during the Dutch-German Hydrogen Symposium as part of the royal couple's state visit to Germany. The Netherlands and Germany are working intensively on projects that will contribute to the development of the necessary hydrogen infrastructure.

Germany and the Netherlands have been cooperating in the field of energy supply for decades. The European climate goals for 2030 and 2050 are playing an increasing role. The availability of hydrogen and investments in its production, conversion and transport are essential in achieving these targets. Hydrogen can play a particularly important role in supplying energy to (heavy) industry and the transport sector. To this end, more and more initiatives are being taken in both countries with regard to the transport, production and conversion of hydrogen. Such European hydrogen projects contribute significantly to a coherent cross-border Northwest European hydrogen infrastructure, as there are excellent geographical conditions here.

On 30 June, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy announced that it will commission Gasunie to develop the national infrastructure for the transport of hydrogen. The project, with an estimated investment of €1.5 billion, is scheduled for completion in 2027 and will consist of 85 per cent recycled natural gas pipelines supplemented by new pipelines. Internationally and between the two countries, there are numerous projects dealing with the development of hydrogen. Gasunie is also developing hydrogen infrastructure in Germany. The HyPerLink project, for example: a hydrogen backbone that connects supply and demand and storage on a large scale. This will enable hydrogen to be transported from the Netherlands to the (industrial) demand centres in Germany - an essential building block for establishing an international hydrogen market.

Similarly, EWE is developing the Clean Hydrogen Coastline project in northwest Germany. Together with partners, the energy company intends to integrate up to 400 megawatts of electrolysis capacity with corresponding storage into the energy system in a targeted manner by the end of 2026, given the appropriate funding framework. The hydrogen generated by onshore and offshore electricity, for example, is to be used for climate-neutral steel production at the Bremen steel site, among other things. In addition, Clean Hydrogen Coastline can create the basis for putting up to 12,000 hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles into operation by the end of 2026. The Clean Hydrogen Coastline and HyPerLink projects are closely linked through the cooperation of EWE and Gasunie and can thus create a first infrastructure link for hydrogen between the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark.

Stefan Dohler, CEO of EWE: "In a climate-neutral Europe, green hydrogen will play a decisive role. Large-scale infrastructure - such as transport pipelines and large underground storage facilities - will be essential to move from hydrogen regions to a European hydrogen economy. The Netherlands and Germany can build on a very good energy partnership for this and take important first steps."

Han Fennema, CEO of Gasunie: "Germany and the Netherlands have the opportunity here to start building the European hydrogen infrastructure together. This will allow us to transport hydrogen between the Netherlands and the (industrial) demand centres in Germany. The physical connections between our countries through our joint pipelines will be the starting point for the European hydrogen market. Great news for the climate, our economies and the cooperation between our countries."

The photo shows (from the foreground, clockwise): State Secretary for Economic Affairs Mona Keijzer, Federal Minister for Economy and Climate Peter Altmaier, King Willem-Alexander, President of the German Industry Federation Siegfried Russwurm, Gasunie CEO Han Fennema and EWE CEO Stefan Dohler.