Fund application to kickstart Dutch electrolyser manufacturing industry

The consortium De Nederlandse Waterstof Delta (The Dutch Hydrogen Delta) has submitted a plan to Dutch MPs Bontenbal, Boucke, and Erkens to kickstart the electrolyser manufacturing industry and thus accelerate the hydrogen economy.

According to the Port of Rotterdam, the plan, which ensures that the Netherlands increases its autonomy and starts making its own plants needed to produce green hydrogen, was designed by 12 consortium partners and some €80 million in funding has been applied for from the National Growth Fund for its implementation.

The Port added that De Nederlandse Waterstof Delta will supply 1 gigawatt (GW) of plants annually from 2026, and this is expected to allow it to supply half of all the plants the Netherlands needs to meet its interim climate targets by 2030.

It noted that the consortium aims to achieve an annual production capacity of 1 GW of Battolysers in the Merwe-Vierhaven area by 2026.

Battolyser is a Dutch hydrogen battery, and according to the Port, this technology can store electricity and produce green hydrogen from renewable electricity.

The Growth Fund subsidy application will also be used for research and scaling up suppliers for a broad-based manufacturing industry, the Port of Rotterdam said, adding that investments will also be made in a so-called H2 Innovation Hub where companies, start-ups, scale-ups, investors, researchers, and government can meet to share knowledge and establish partnerships. To note, technical courses will also have a place in this new cluster.

The plan is expected to provide attractive jobs, make the economy more sustainable, and strengthen the earning power of the Netherlands.

Consortium members of De Nederlandse Waterstof Delta are Battolyser Systems, Port of Rotterdam Authority, Platform Zero, Didak, Agfa Gevaert, Madern International, VSPARTICLE, Demcon, Delft University of Technology, Techniek College Rotterdam, Hogeschool Rotterdam, and InnovationQuarter.