The Dutch government yesterday announced that it has decided to prioritize hydrogen and CO₂ infrastructure for the Delta Rhine Corridor (DRC). As a consequence, direct current connections, required to connect offshore wind farms to the high-voltage grid deep inland, will be excluded. This is expected to lead to delays.
In order to accelerate the sustainability of industry and avoid further delay of the Delta Rhine Corridor (DRC), a large-scale project to lay underground pipelines and cables from the port of Rotterdam, via Moerdijk to Germany, the Dutch Parliament has decided to prioritize hydrogen and CO₂ infrastructure.
Minister Hermans (Climate and Green Growth), also on behalf of Minister Madlener (Infrastructure and Water Management) and Minister Keijzer (Housing and Spatial Planning), informed the House of Commons about this decision in a letter to parliament yesterday.
The original plan for the DRC combined multiple modalities such as ammonia and direct current cables. The decision will allow the hydrogen and CO₂ pipelines to be realized according to a clear timeline, with a planned completion between 2031-2033. This provides companies with the certainty to continue making the necessary investments in sustainable technology. At the same time, it strengthens the Netherlands’ position as an international hydrogen hub and reliable location for CO₂ storage and will make the Netherlands less dependent on foreign countries and to meet climate targets, the letter to parliament states.
Consequences for offshore wind connections
The cabinet has chosen to remove ammonia from the DRC project. This plan is not yet sufficiently developed and needs more time. It was also decided not to include a reusable pipeline in the project for the same reason. The possibility of realizing these components later remains open.
Also, the direct current cables needed to transport the generated electricity from offshore wind farms to the mainland are now outside the project scope. This affects the timely availability of green power in the Netherlands. Tennet estimates that as a result, the construction of the cables will not be realized until 2040. Therefore, alternative routes are urgently being sought.
TenneT in a reaction says it understands the complexity of the choice made by ministers but is disappointed with the decision to remove direct current connections from the Delta Rhine Corridor. The joint procedure initiated would have led to optimal use of scarce space, also considering the large space requirements of the energy transition.
TenneT has major concerns about how to connect offshore wind farms to the high-voltage grid deep inland (deep landfall) and how to bring power further inland without creating new bottlenecks in the grid. The decision may have consequences for future grid congestion and the possibilities of (industrial) electrification in Limburg in particular in the longer term. Due to the lack of deep landfall of Wind at Sea in Limburg as intended in the Delta Rhine Corridor, TenneT says it is facing high social costs, approximately €400 million redispatch costs per year for solving grid congestion.
The government says it recognizes the impact of this decision, but emphasizes that sticking to the original integrated approach would seriously delay all components. Source: TenneT / Rijksoverheid
