Overview
- Local authorities, Port of Rotterdam, research institutes and industry formally launched the LAUNCH2 regional coalition on Wednesday to coordinate hydrogen projects, share knowledge and push pilot ideas toward commercial scale.
- At a ceremony that included King Willem‑Alexander on Wednesday the first 32‑kilometre section of the national hydrogen backbone from Tweede Maasvlakte to Pernis was opened and reported filled with hydrogen, with Nederlandse Gasunie named as network operator.
- Shell has told officials it expects to bring a hydrogen plant online later this year and to use pipeline hydrogen in its Pernis refinery, a near‑term offtake seen as crucial to create initial demand for the network.
- The Netherlands Court of Audit has warned of a chicken‑and‑egg problem and flagged fiscal risk, estimating that loss‑compensation subsidies could reach about €2.5 billion and warning that many repurposed gas pipes may not be suitable for hydrogen.
- Authorities say the 32 km segment is a first step toward a roughly 1,200 km national network with cross‑border links by 2033, and success will depend on firm industrial commitments, clearer tariff rules and large‑scale storage to balance intermittent renewable supply.