Offshore Hydrogen Ramp-Up Workshop in Delft: Paving the way for Netherlands’ Offshore Hydrogen Expansion

Delft, 11^th July 2023 – The MOHN team, in partnership with its lead stakeholder, TNO, recently organized its highly anticipated third offshore hydrogen ramp-up workshop in Delft. The event served as a gathering point for key stakeholders from various sectors across the Netherlands, converging at the HEROW knowledge sharing platform.

The session commenced with an informative update from Rene Peters (TNO), representing the Ministry, who shed light on the progress of Demo 1 and Demo 2, setting the stage for an engaging discussion. Bob Meijer (TKI Offshore Energy) enriched the workshop with valuable insights from the offshore wind industry, drawing parallels between cost reduction strategies and the offshore hydrogen sector.

Throughout the workshop, four expert-led working groups, consisting of Meiko Neumann and Meryem Maghrebi from cruh21, Daniela Heger from Fraunhofer IEG, and Rene Peters and Susan Haasdijk from TNO, focused on refining success factors and addressing current challenges for the ramp-up of offshore hydrogen production in the Netherlands.

The local experts collaborated and proposed several stimulating ideas to accelerate offshore hydrogen production:

✅ Urgent Need for Legal Framework Unification: There is a pressing need to streamline the currently existing three legal frameworks governing water, wind energy, and mining laws. Unifying these frameworks will facilitate seamless progress and propel public EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) studies forward.

✅ Knowledge Sharing from Demo 1: Establishing a collaborative learning process that leverages the insights gained from Demo 1 will pave the way for a successful commercial scale-up with Demo 2. By building upon the lessons learned, the offshore hydrogen sector can expedite its growth trajectory.

✅ Adaptation of Gas Laws: Modifying gas laws to allow for the inclusion of hydrogen blends in existing pipelines will provide a swift and efficient transport option for Demo 1. This adaptation will contribute to a seamless integration of hydrogen into the existing infrastructure.

✅ Driving Demand through Clear Guidelines and Targets: Creating demand for hydrogen within the Dutch industry can be achieved by implementing clear guidelines and setting imposed targets. By establishing a Hydrogen Roadmap, the industry can align its efforts and drive the adoption of hydrogen as a vital energy source.

The third offshore hydrogen ramp-up workshop in Delft proved to be an invaluable platform for collaboration, and problem-solving. With these recommendations, the Netherlands is on a good way to propel its offshore hydrogen sector to new heights.