Four companies, Vattenfall, Sunoco, HyCC and Tata Steel, located in the North Sea Canal, have signed a so-called Connection Study Agreement (CSA), an agreement with Gasunie subsidiary Hynetwork to prepare the connections to Gasunie’s future hydrogen network, as they plan to produce or use hydrogen.
The interest comes at a time when the contours of the hydrogen network in the North Sea Canal area, as part of the national hydrogen network, are beginning to take shape. Last month, the preferred route for the future hydrogen network in this industrial region was announced.
On Thursday, May 16, the four companies symbolically placed their signatures once again, on a hydrogen pipeline in the port of Amsterdam. Gasunie subsidiary Hynetwork, Port of Amsterdam and Programmabureau Noordzeekanaalgebied co-signed, ratifying the cooperation. With their initiative, the companies want to accelerate the scaling up of the hydrogen economy. They call on other companies to follow their example of “cooperation in the chain. As a Hydrogen Valley Region, the North Sea Canal area offers plenty of opportunities for this.
The North Sea Canal area is one of the major industrial clusters and energy hubs in the Netherlands. Together with Schiphol Airport, it is an important area for port, logistics and industry. Industry in this region has CO2 emissions of about 18 megatons. It is important to drastically reduce these emissions. One way to do this is by using CO2-free hydrogen. As a major energy port and fuel cluster, the region is also focusing on importing hydrogen and producing green fuels. A hydrogen network is crucial in this regard.
Gasunie subsidiary Hynetwork is realizing a national hydrogen network. This network of pipelines connects the major industrial regions in the Netherlands with each other, with hydrogen storage and import locations and with other countries. The hydrogen network in the North Sea Canal area, which is part of this, is currently scheduled to be operational from the end of 2027.
Photo: Ebbes fotografie
