The Dutch government has unveiled its plans to construct a large-scale hydrogen production facility to covert wind power into hydrogen in the North Sea.
The plant will have an electrolysis capacity of around 500 MW per year and is scheduled to commission in 2031.
The new hydrogen plant will be connected to an offshore wind farm off the coast of the northern province of Groningen, where the presence of a natural gas pipeline can be repurposed for land transport and connected to the onshore hydrogen network.
Prior to issuing tenders, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate is closely collaborating with the Groningen region, parties around the Wadden Sea Region, and other stakeholders to address key issues such as pipeline landing and how to produce hydrogen in a safe and ecologically responsible manner.
As a stepping stone to this project, work is also underway on a smaller pilot with an electrolysis capacity of approximately 50-100 MW. This should remove the first defects from the technology so that the project of 500 MW can be realised efficiently.
Minister for Climate and Energy Policy Rob Jetten said: “We are a global leader with this plan. I am also very happy with the support we receive from local authorities.”
Auction for the project is expected to be held in 2026 or 2027.