Eneco plans to build 800 MW green hydrogen plant in Europoort

Dutch energy company Eneco has submitted a planning application for the construction of a green hydrogen production plant in Rotterdam’s Europoort industrial area.

Eneco plans to develop the Eneco Electrolyzer plant which will use renewable energy from solar parks and wind farms to produce clean hydrogen that is initially aimed toward the industrial sector.

The Eneco Electrolyzer will be developed next to the Enecogen power station in Europoort, enabling the two facilities to share some infrastructure, which brings cost and realization time advantages.

The proposed hydrogen plant will have a capacity of 800 MW, which means it will be able to produce up to 80 kilotonnes of hydrogen every year, depending on the amount of renewable energy available and the demand for green hydrogen from the industrial sector.

Eneco has submitted its planning application expecting the work towards building the Eneco Electrolyzer to kick off over the next few years. Construction is scheduled to start in 2026, and the hydrogen plant is currently scheduled to start operating in 2029.

The company is working on this project together with Mitsubishi through the Eneco Diamond Hydrogen joint venture.

The joint venture was established earlier this year to develop green hydrogen and associated renewable energy businesses, pivoting from the Netherlands, by taking full advantage of its parent companies’ respective strengths.

“Producing green hydrogen is essential for a successful energy transition,” said Eneco CEO As Tempelman. “When direct electrification is not possible, green hydrogen is a good and sustainable alternative, both as a raw material and as a fuel. Investing in green hydrogen is an important part of our strategy and it pleases me that we can now take concrete steps towards this.”

In addition to the Eneco Electrolyzer, the Dutch company, together with Shell, is working on the development of the Hollandse Kust Noord (HKN) offshore wind project which will also comprise additional energy solutions, including offshore hydrogen production and power generation from floating solar panels.

Last year, Eneco also joined the NortH2 green hydrogen consortium which is developing a large-scale offshore wind-to-hydrogen electrolysis project in the Eemshaven area, the Netherlands.