(Groningen / Netherlands) – Hynetwork Services begins building a national hydrogen network in the Netherlands. The investments for the first section amount to over 100 million euros, explained the gas network operator Gasunie BV. Construction work in Rotterdam will start “after the summer,” says board member Hans Coenen. The first construction phase covers more than 30 kilometers from the Tweede Maasvlakte to Pernis. Completion is scheduled for 2025.
Interface to the interior
Last year, the Gasunie subsidiary Hynetwork received a government contract to develop the hydrogen network. From 2030, it will connect the seaports of Eemshaven, the North Sea Canal area, Rotterdam, Zeeland and Limburg with the large industrial clusters as well as with Germany (Ruhr area and Hamburg) and Belgium. When fully developed, the network will cover around 1.200 kilometers and consist of 85 percent existing natural gas pipelines. A total of 1,5 billion euros is estimated for this.
In addition to the national network, Gasunie will also contribute to the development of a hydrogen infrastructure for import, transport and large-scale storage in northern Germany. The Dutch cabinet also plans to commission Gasunie to set up a hydrogen network in the North Sea.
Gateway to Northwest Europe
The seaport of Rotterdam is considered an important “gateway for hydrogen to northwest Europe”. Only recently did she Port administration, as reported, concluded contracts with the Spanish energy companies Iberdrola SA and Compañía Española de Petróleos (Cepsa). The companies will deliver ammonia from the south of the Iberian Peninsula by sea to a yet-to-be-built ACE terminal, convert it back into hydrogen there and then deliver it to industrial customers via the Hynetwork pipeline network.
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Planned pathways for hydrogen in northwestern Europe. © Gasunie
