The Netherlands has all the components needed to become the biggest green hydrogen powerhouse in Europe. Researchers from Roland Berger and Royal HaskoningDHV assert this in a collaborative research paper.
The need for green hydrogen is expected to skyrocket in the next decades. They can only be produced, imported, stored, and transported in a few places in Europe, according to the Roland Berger and Royal HaskoningDHV study.
One of them is the Netherlands, which the two agencies have even awarded an unique top rank in the race to control the European market.
The Netherlands offers a strong starting point because of its long history as a large natural gas exporter and its function as a transit nation for Europe. These come together to offer a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and first-rate infrastructure.
The Netherlands also has a major offshore natural gas network for transporting hydrogen produced at sea ashore, as well as a sizable interconnector network to Belgium, the UK, Germany, and Denmark. In addition, the construction of the Delta Corridor will make it possible for a sizable volume of hydrogen to be transported from the Netherlands to the Ruhr region.
According to Roland Berger and Royal HaskoningDHV, green hydrogen is effectively produced and marketed in the Netherlands. In the future years, manufacturing will increase quickly. A number of large-scale initiatives, typically linked to wind energy generation, will reach the production stage before 2030.
Overall, it seems that the Netherlands came close to winning the struggle for control of the European market. However, a significant obstacle still needs to be overcome. The analysis also shows that the green hydrogen market will remain unprofitable.
Given the loss-making and unpredictable nature of the challenge, it is unlikely that market parties will accept it. According to the two agencies, this necessitates “decisive action” on three different levels. First, the government must ensure that large-scale infrastructure, both new and recycled, is promptly available. Second, while local production and consumption should be promoted, international imports should be embraced. The establishment of a digital trading platform is the final phase.
