The largest hydrogen production in Europe to date is to be built in the Netherlands. The idea: make electricity storable. Germany could also benefit from the plan. The Dutch have already rearranged the European energy landscape. At that time, it was the discovery of the underground natural gas reserves in the north of Groningen that suddenly catapulted the small EU country into the league of the very big ones. Now the country could start the next energy revolution.
Together with the Dutch gas network operator Gasunie and the port of Groningen Seaports, the oil company Shell plans to build the largest hydrogen project in Europe to date. Within ten years, a mega wind farm of between three and four gigawatts is to be built off the coast of North Holland for the NortH2 project. "We believe in the importance of hydrogen and are convinced that the investment will pay off," said Marjan van Loon, Shell CEO in the Netherlands, in an interview with Handelsblatt.
The wind power should be processed directly by an electrolyser in Eemshaven into green hydrogen, stored and then distributed via Gasunie's gas infrastructure."Together we have the ambition to bring the Netherlands to the top of hydrogen worldwide," emphasizes van Loon, Netherlands boss. But to reduce the costs for the technology, more of such large projects are needed.
Initially, the main customer is said to be industry, but Shell could also supply consumers later with green hydrogen. The first turbines are scheduled to be ready in 2027, but the Dutch trio is already thinking ahead: by 2040, the plan is to expand the wind farm to ten gigawatts.
Source: Handelsblatt
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