INTERVIEW Working on the hydrogen infrastructure
Both the Netherlands and Germany are working hard on realising the hydrogen market and the infrastructure needed for this. Where are the biggest steps being taken? What is Gasunie’s role? Hydrogen Business Development Manager Helmie Botter and Hydrogen Manager for Germany Bert Kiewiet discuss the hydrogen ambitions of the Netherlands and Germany.
Head start
When asked who is ahead, the Netherlands or Germany, for a moment there is silence. Then Helmie finally answers, ‘The Netherlands is leading the way. Developments started earlier there. Over the past few years, the Netherlands has made great strides with hydrogen and in terms of Gasunie’s role in this. But things have also been set in motion in Germany too, so I think the Netherlands will soon be overtaken.’ Bert agrees: ‘In the Netherlands, work on the hydrogen backbone has been going on for some time; in Germany, the same initiative is less than two years old. If you look at the pilot projects in the Netherlands and the first hydrogen pipeline in the province of Zeeland, the Netherlands is leading the way. However, in Germany’s new coalition agreement hydrogen is emphatically given a boost. The conversion of German industry, such as steel production, has top priority.’
Thinking versus doing
‘In the Netherlands they are more pragmatic,’ Bert explains. ‘Do it, and then see what happens. In Germany people tend to think things out very carefully first. And then think again. But once they say go, there’s no stopping them. A good example is regulation. In the Netherlands, in essence they let the market get going first. In Germany, they prefer to think such things out in advance.’ ‘The Dutch approach is to get a few experts together to sketch out the big picture and then just get going from there,’ Helmie adds.
Different starting position
Helmie: ‘In the Netherlands, the picture is also clearer in terms of size and the number of players. Gasunie is the only national transmission system operator (TSO) for the transmission of gas. In Germany you have to deal with several TSOs and several federal states. In Europe, the Netherlands is sometimes admired, the fact that Gasunie is being allowed to take on the transmission of hydrogen and that the Netherlands can take such big steps with such a pragmatic approach. Also the fact that the government is supporting this with grants.’ Bert says, ‘All German gas companies also want to get started with hydrogen, but the landscape is different. With so many stakeholders, a compromise solution is sometimes chosen. Now that’s the real “polder approach'.
Collaborating governments
Despite the differences, there is a lot of collaboration. Bert explains, ‘Ultimately, governments are only responsible for their own country. But there is a long tradition of exchange of energy, at European level and certainly between Germany and the Netherlands. For example, there is almost weekly contact between the two ministries of Economic Affairs about the ‘Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI)’. This also includes the hydrogen backbone.’
Backbone as a connector
‘With the Dutch backbone, the five domestic industrial clusters will become locations for hydrogen production, transmission and import,’ says Helmie. ‘We are also looking at the Ruhr area. Germany needs a lot of hydrogen. By connecting the backbones of both countries, the Netherlands can become a transit country. That is good for the ports, the economy and employment. We also see a lot of potential in the border area between the Netherlands and Germany for the storage of hydrogen, in salt caverns for example. The geographical area in which Gasunie operates is really ideal for our position in the hydrogen market throughout north-western Europe.’
Internal collaboration
Bert: ‘If you look at the map of the European Hydrogen Backbone, this includes an inset map that zooms in specifically on the Netherlands and Germany. That just goes to show how far ahead of the rest we are. At Gasunie we are also working with one single hydrogen department, without the traditional separation between the Netherlands and Germany. It’s a real pleasure working on this. On the one hand we are pioneering, on the other we can build on a history stretching back decades.’ Helmie: ‘It’s really invigorating to work on something new, to feel that you are doing something that contributes to society and to the future of Gasunie. And that together with a multitude of partners and with a close-knit team; everyone is intrinsically motivated to make a difference.’
Same strategic goals
Bert: ‘In 2030? By then we will have built our German backbone. We will be connected with the Netherlands, and also with Denmark, and the backbone will also be connected to flexible storage capacity.’ Helmie: ‘More or less the same applies to the Netherlands. I expect that by 2030 we will have completed the national backbone, including several hydrogen storage caverns and a connection to Germany and Belgium. We will also have realised the first large-scale import facilities, increasingly working towards a global market. Industrial clusters, offshore wind and ports: Germany and the Netherlands have the same great starting position.’