Gasunie – National hydrogen network roll-out plan updated
Over the coming years, Gasunie subsidiary Hynetwork will be rolling out the national hydrogen network for the Netherlands in various stages. The first part will be put into operation in Rotterdam in 2026 at the latest. Over the years after that, hydrogen transmission infrastructure will become available within various industrial clusters along the Dutch North Sea coast before or in 2030. During that same time frame, the network will be connected from the northern Netherlands to the large-scale HyStock hydrogen storage facility and the first cross-border connections to Germany and from Zeeland to Belgium will be made. Between 2031 and 2033, the network will be rolled out across the industrial cluster in Limburg and the various clusters will be connected, including the Delta Rhine Corridor. The above timeline is presented in the updated network plan that Hynetwork published today and will submit to the market and other stakeholders for review.
In 2023, Hynetwork started work on the Netherlands’ national hydrogen work. With this infrastructure we want to help industries in the Netherlands become more sustainable. This will keep the Netherlands high on the list of countries that are an attractive place to do business and it is also good for our economy and jobs. Industry needs clarity on the roll-out timeline and on when the hydrogen network will be available. Before the summer of this year, it became apparent that Hynetwork’s roll-out plan needed updating, partly because of developments around the Delta Rhine Corridor and the longer lead times in the project procedures.
Hynetwork has spent the past few months closely examining the sections that will jointly make up the national hydrogen network. In early December, Hynetwork received the final piece of the jigsaw when the Dutch government cleared the way for completion of the Delta Rhine Corridor between 2031 and 2032. This created clarity on the intended completion date of this crucial West-East connection in the Netherlands’ hydrogen network and enabled Hynetwork to finish the roll-out plan update.
The timeline is now as follows:
- 2026: Rotterdam
- 2026-2030: Northern Netherlands, including the connection to HyStock and the cross-border connections to Germany; North Sea Canal area; Southwestern Netherlands, including a cross-border connection to Belgium
- 2031-2033: Limburg; Connections between industrial clusters, including the Delta Rhine Corridor
What’s next?
Until the end of January, the market and other stakeholders have a chance to review and respond to the updated roll-out plan. Hynetwork will also be organising a webinar on 17 December to engage on the roll-out plan with a number of representatives from across the hydrogen value chain. Parties attending the webinar will also have the opportunity to ask questions and give feedback digitally. After this consultation phase, we will submit the roll-out plan, with the response from the market and other stakeholders incorporated, to the minister for Climate Policy and Green Growth for a final decision.
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Gasunie – National hydrogen network roll-out plan updated, source
