The government will accelerate the development of sustainable hydrogen in the Netherlands. This increases supply security, contributes to the greening of industry and mobility, and reduces CO² emissions. In addition to increasing supply, efforts are also being made to stimulate use by industry, refineries, and in mobility.

The funds come from the OWE subsidy scheme opened last year. A total of € 3.2 billion in subsidies was requested, of which over € 700 million has been awarded to 11 companies. The subsidized projects are good for about 602 megawatts of electrolysis capacity. This is more than three times the production capacity of the currently largest hydrogen plant under construction, the Holland Hydrogen 1.

The intended hydrogen consumers include refineries, the chemical industry, and gas stations. With the new hydrogen output, 5000 hydrogen-powered trucks can operate for a year.

Minister Hermans (Climate and Green Growth): “By producing sustainable hydrogen in the Netherlands, we become less dependent on foreign sources. Increasing our production capacity is therefore an important and logical step. But we are not there yet. We will need to continue investing in various energy sources to further reduce our energy dependence.”

The companies receiving subsidies are: H2Eron (Delfzijl), Circul8 Hydrogen Factory (Lelystad), Eurus Energy Europe (Veendam), Air Liquide Industry (Rotterdam), Uniper Hydrogen Netherlands (Rotterdam), FR Energyhubs (Steenwijk), Westfalen Hydrogen (Zutphen), Essent Hydrogen (Deventer), Den Tol Duurzaam (Gendringen), Vattenfall (Eemshaven), and Statkraft Renewables Benelux (Den Helder).

The subsidy bridges the price gap between renewable and fossil hydrogen. For the allocation, companies compete based on their subsidy needs per megawatt of electrolysis capacity, with those needing the least subsidy winning the allocation.

A total of € 998 million in subsidies was available. The government is currently investigating whether companies can apply for the remaining subsidy budget. The feasibility depends on European state aid rules.