The Netherlands will soon be home to Europe’s largest green hydrogen project thanks to a collaboration between oil giant Shell and gas infrastructure group Gasunie. Called the NortH2 initiative, it will be powered by as much as 10GW of offshore wind turbines in the North Sea by 2040. It will consist of a large hydrogen electrolyzer located in Eamshaven, and in conjunction with Groningen Seaport.
Marjan van Loon, president of Shell Nederland, said:
“Together, we are launching an ambition that puts the Netherlands at the forefront of hydrogen globally. In addition, it contributes to achieving the objectives of the Dutch Climate Agreement and accelerates the energy transition. This project offers opportunities throughout the entire hydrogen chain. In addition, it fits well with our New Energies aspirations and our ambitions to find new ways to reduce CO2 emissions and deliver more and cleaner energy, at home, on the go and at work.”
By 2027, they plan to have 3-4GW of offshore turbines powering the production of hydrogen already. By 2040, with all 10GW of turbines running, they plan to be producing 800,000 tons of green hydrogen annually.
Shell has been involved in offshore wind developments off the Netherlands (as a partner) actively participating in the nation’s more comprehensive energy transition strategy. The NortH2 project is a significant boost for the company as it aims to become an increasingly more substantial player in the wind energy sector. The project is highly ambitious, seeing as at 10GW it even outstrips mega-developments such as the UK’s Dogger Bank, where Innogy and Equinor are building 5.2GW altogether.
The success of the project “depends, among other things, on permits from governments, the assignment of new wind farm locations in the North Sea, the available locations for the hydrogen facility/facilities and the final investment decisions of the parties concerned,” according to the partners. They also admit that it will cost a considerable amount of money and that “the initial project phases may potentially require European and national subsidies available for the decarbonization of energy.” However, the Dutch government has been running auctions for offshore wind at a zero-subsidy basis, so any support will have to be attached to the hydrogen production side of the equation.
As the world transitions to greener forms of fuel, renewable hydrogen produced using renewable power is quickly becoming a popular option. Many key energy partners are putting lots of effort into driving hydrogen’s role in the energy transition up. They see it as an essential part of the puzzle to reach hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as heating and transport.
