Grootste groene waterstofproject van Europa start in Groningen
27 feb. 2020
English Translation below
Een consortium van Gasunie, Groningen Seaports en Shell Nederland starten met ambitieus groene waterstofproject ‘NortH2.’
NortH2 visie:
- Energie van de bron naar de klant – van groene stroom tot groene waterstoflevering – waar met behulp van diverse partners schaalgrootte bereikt kan worden om ambitie te realiseren.
- Nieuwe windparken op Noordzee voeden megawaterstoffabriek in de Eemshaven, eventueel aangevuld met omzetting van stroom naar waterstof op zee.
- De ambitie is voor 2030 zo’n 3 tot 4 GW windenergie te genereren voor waterstofproductie, en mogelijk 10 GW in 2040.
- Groene waterstofproductie van 800.000 ton, voorkomt rond 7 megaton CO2-uitstoot per jaar.
- Infrastructuur van Gasunie vervoert groene waterstof naar industriële klanten in Nederland en Noordwest-Europa.
- Een grote groene waterstofbuffer levert de benodigde flexibiliteit omdat zonne- en windenergie fluctuaties kennen.
- Provincie Groningen wordt het Europees centrum van groene waterstofproductie en een Europees voorbeeld als eerste European Hydrogen Valley.
- De investeringen in NortH2 kunnen duizenden banen in Noord-Nederland creëren.
- De start van het project wordt nog dit jaar verwacht met de aftrap van een haalbaarheidsstudie.
Een consortium van Gasunie, Groningen Seaports en Shell Nederland kondigt vandaag aan dat zij willen beginnen met het project NortH2: de productie van groene waterstof met behulp van stroom die door een megawindpark op zee wordt opgewekt – van 3 tot 4 gigawatt in 2030, waarmee invulling wordt gegeven aan de doelstellingen van het Klimaatakkoord.
Daarnaast heeft het de ambitie om door te groeien naar zo’n 10 gigawatt rond 2040. De groene waterstofproductie, initieel in de Eemshaven en later mogelijk ook op zee, zal naar verwachting zo’n 800.000 ton per jaar zijn in 2040. Dat scheelt een uitstoot van zo’n zeven megaton CO2 per jaar. NortH2 heeft de steun van de provincie Groningen en gaat op zoek naar partners om het consortium uit te breiden en dit project te realiseren.
Groene waterstof, gemaakt uit hernieuwbare bronnen zoals wind en zonne-energie, staat centraal in het Nederlandse Klimaatakkoord en de Europese ‘Green Deal’. Op dit moment wordt waterstof al in grote hoeveelheden gebruikt in de industrie, maar wordt voornamelijk geproduceerd uit aardgas. Het vervangen door groene waterstof draagt serieus bij aan de verduurzaming van de industrie.
Allereerst voorziet NortH2 in de bouw van enorme windparken in de Noordzee, die stapsgewijs kunnen uitgroeien tot een uiteindelijke capaciteit van zo’n 10 gigawatt. Dat is omgerekend goed voor het elektriciteitsgebruik van circa 12,5 miljoen Nederlandse huishoudens. Hiervoor moeten veel windturbines worden gebouwd. De eerste kunnen al in 2027 gereed zijn en worden ingezet voor groene waterstofproductie.
Daarnaast voorziet het plan in een grote ‘elektrolyser’ in de Eemshaven, waar de windenergie wordt omgezet in groene waterstof. Het consortium overweegt verder de mogelijkheid om elektrolysers op zee te plaatsen.
Ten slotte is een slim transportnetwerk in Nederland en Noordwest-Europa nodig om de 800.000 ton groene waterstof naar voornamelijk industrie, maar later mogelijk ook naar de consument te brengen. Hiermee kan rond 2040 naar schatting zeven megaton CO2-uitstoot per jaar worden bespaard. Met dit project wordt de aardgasinfrastructuur van Gasunie, die nu nog vooral wordt ingezet voor aardgas en groen gas, ook gebruikt voor de opslag en het transport van waterstof.
Marjan van Loon, president-directeur van Shell Nederland: “We zetten hier met elkaar een ambitie neer die Nederland wereldwijd in de koplopersgroep plaatst op het gebied van waterstof. Bovendien draagt het bij aan het behalen van de doelstellingen van het Nederlandse Klimaatakkoord en het versnellen van de energietransitie. Dit project biedt kansen in de gehele waterstofketen. Daarnaast past het goed bij onze New Energies-aspiraties en bij onze ambities om steeds weer nieuwe manieren te vinden om CO2-uitstoot te verminderen en meer en schonere energie te leveren, thuis, onderweg en op het werk. Om dit project te realiseren zullen er verschillende nieuwe partners nodig zijn. Samen zullen we moeten pionieren en innoveren om alle beschikbare kennis en kunde die nodig is bij elkaar te brengen. De energietransitie vraagt om lef, durven en doen.”
Eerste windturbines in 2027
De start van het project wordt nog dit jaar verwacht met de aftrap van een haalbaarheidsstudie. Als de uitkomst succesvol is, hoopt het consortium de eerste waterstof te produceren rond 2027. Dit is onder meer afhankelijk van vergunningen van overheden, het aanwijzen van plaatsen voor nieuwe windparken in de Noordzee, de beschikbare locaties van de waterstoffabriek(en) en de investeringsbeslissingen van de betrokken partijen. De realisatie is dan ook mede afhankelijk van de bijdragen van verschillende industriële en energiepartners. NortH2’s partners verwachten dat de initiële projectfases mogelijk Europese en nationale subsidies nodig hebben die beschikbaar zijn voor verduurzaming van energie.
Han Fennema, CEO Gasunie: “Nederland heeft een toppositie om de omslag naar een waterstofeconomie te leiden. We hebben de Noordzee voor de productie van wind, de havens als logistieke hubs, de industrieclusters die de overstap willen maken naar groene moleculen én een prima transportnet. Dit komt in het Noorden mooi bij elkaar met Groningen Seaports waar de conversie naar waterstof plaatsvindt, opslag in Zuidwending en een ambitieuze provincie. Als wij onze klimaatambities willen waarmaken, dan moeten wij tijdig beschikken over een grootschalige infrastructuur. Met deze, en hopelijk binnenkort nog meer, partners helpen wij de markt om versneld de overstap te maken naar duurzame energie.”
Fluctuaties opvangen
Omdat zonne- en windenergie fluctuaties kennen, is het van belang deze ook om te zetten in andere energiedragers, zoals waterstof. Met de nieuwste technologieën is het relatief eenvoudig en bovendien veilig te produceren en in tegenstelling tot stroom kan waterstof makkelijk worden opgeslagen.
Noord-Nederland
Het Noorden van Nederland is goed gepositioneerd om het centrum te worden van groene waterstof in Nederland en Noordwest-Europa. De Noordzee heeft een groot potentieel aan grootschalige windenergie. De Eemshaven is een belangrijke schakel tussen windenergie opgewekt op zee en de omzetting naar groene waterstof op land. De aardgasinfrastructuur is geschikt voor opslag en grootschalige transport van waterstof vanuit Noord-Nederland naar de rest van Nederland en Noordwest-Europa.
“In Noord-Nederland bouwen we al actief aan de groene industrie van de toekomst. Zo gebruikt een belangrijk deel van de industrie in Delfzijl al waterstof en is de bouw van Europa’s grootste groene waterstoffabriek in onze havenstad dichtbij. De industrie kan hierdoor fors vergroenen en heeft de ruimte om door te groeien waardoor ook onze kennispositie verder verstevigd wordt. De groene industrie in het Noorden levert eveneens een concrete bijdrage aan de klimaatdoelstellingen van Nederland voor 2030. We gaan voor de grootste groene waterstofketen van Europa met Noord-Nederland als centrum”, aldus Groningen Seaports-CEO Cas König.
Vervolgstappen
Deze aankondiging is de start van de verdere ontwikkeling van het project met meerdere partners, om een brede coalitie te vormen die nodig is om een succes te maken van dit grootschalige project. Het is ook het begin van de haalbaarheidsstudies en de gesprekken met betrokken Europese, nationale, regionale en lokale overheden over de wetgevings- en beleidskaders waardoor stabiele en positieve investeringsbesluiten mogelijk gemaakt kunnen worden.
Update december 2020
In december 2020 heeft het consortium de internationale partners RWE en Equinor verwelkomt en de eerste resultaten van de haalbaarheidsstudie gepresenteerd. Klik hier voor dit bericht.
Samen naar groene waterstof
Title: NortH2 animation video
Duration: 2:46 minutes
Description:
An animation video providing an overview of the NortH2 project plans.
An animation with voice over describes the ambitions for the NortH2 project in which a new wind energy facility will be constructed to supply energy to a hydrogen production facility in the Eemshaven in Groningen.
NortH2 animation video Transcript
[Text displays]
Europe’s largest green energy project?
[Background music plays]
Throughout the video, soft up-beat music plays in the background.
[Video footage]
A sequence of areal footage of the Province of Groningen is shown.
[Voice over plays]
The largest green hydrogen project in Europe may arise in Groningen. A megaproject that could help bring both the Netherlands and northwest-Europe in a great leap forward to net zero CO2 emissions in 2050.
[Video footage - animation]
An animated globe is seen. The camera zooms in on the Netherlands. A map of the nether on which the camera zooms in on the Province of Groningen. After this, a building is shown with equipment inside.
[Voice over plays]
Global CO2 emissions must be reduced significantly over the years to come. Everyone, including industry, need to reduce their emissions. Green hydrogen plays an important role in the transition to a cleaner energy system. With power from renewable energy sources, we can produce green hydrogen and bring clean energy from the source to the consumer.
[Video footage - animation]
A close-up of a spinning windmill is shown.
[Voice over plays]
But to produce enough green hydrogen, we need more green power. Much more than is available now.
[Video footage - animation]
A field with an array of solar panels is shown. The camera moves up to show a group of windmills. The camera keeps moving up into the sky. The logos of Gasunie, Groningen Seaports, Shell and the Province of Groningen appear.
[Voice over plays]
That is why a consortium comprising Gasunie, Groningen Seaports and Shell, supported by the Province of Groningen, has the ambition to realize the largest green hydrogen value chain in Europe.
[Video footage - animation]
Separate windmill components are shown coming together to form a windmill. The video cuts to an aerial view of a sea. As the camera moves up it is revealed that there are many windmills placed throughout the water.[Voice over plays]
The vision is to realize a large wind farm in the North Sea, which could generate 3 to 4 gigawatts of electricity by 2030. That is more than 3 million Dutch households consume each year and 4 times as much as today's largest Dutch wind farm is generating.
[Video footage - animation]
The camera moves away from the windmills, across the sea, into a building with equipment inside.
[Voice over plays]
The new wind farm will be connected to a hydrogen facility in the Eemshaven. This facility, a so-called electrolyser, brings together electricity and water in a process called electrolysis. In this process, water is split into oxygen molecules and hydrogen molecules.
[Video footage - animation]
The camera moves into the equipment. Two vats of water are shown with electrodes inside them. In each of the vats small bubbles can be seen rising to the top.
[Voice over plays]
The hydrogen molecules can then be transported to the main industrial clusters in the Netherlands and northwest-Europe via an extensive network of existing and new gas pipelines.
[Video footage - animation]
The camera starts traveling through a gas pipeline towards an industrial cluster. The camera moves up and out of the pipeline to reveal the industrial facility.
[Voice over plays]
In the long term, green hydrogen will replace the hydrogen that is currently still made from, for example, natural gas. In addition to industrial use, this clean energy carrier could also be used for other applications in the future.
[Video footage - animation]
A truck is seen pulling up to the industrial facility. The camera moves up into the sky. The words “10 gigawatt” and “7 megaton” appear in the sky.
[Voice over plays]
The ambition is to eventually install more than 10 gigawatts of wind energy to produce green hydrogen. Ultimately, we can save no less than seven megatons of CO2 emissions per year. A substantial contribution to the great challenge we all face.
[Video footage - animation]
A map of the Netherlands, zoomed in on Groningen, is shown with a hydrogen production facility on it. The camera zooms out and from the facility in Groningen, blue lines start branching out across the country and over the Dutch borders. As the camera continues to zoom out, a group of windmills can be seen in the sea above Groningen.
[Voice over plays]
The consortium has made a good start. But co-operation is crucial for the project to succeed, and a broader movement is necessary, with a fundamental role for the government. That is why we are happy to join forces and work together to make our mark on the horizon.
[Video footage - animation]
The camera moves across the sea, through a group of windmills, towards the sun setting behind the horizon.
[Voice over plays]
Together we can make the northern Netherlands the center of green hydrogen supply, for both the Netherlands and northwest-Europe.
[Video footage - animation]
The map of the Netherlands is shown again. The text “European Hydrogen Valley” appears next to the hydrogen facility in Groningen.
[Voice over plays]
NortH2. Together for green hydrogen.
[Video footage - animation]
The NortH2 logo appears against a white background. After that, the logos of Shell, Groningen Seaports, Gasunie and the Province of Groningen also appear.
English Translation
Europe’s largest green hydrogen project starts in Groningen
NortH2 vision:
- Energy from source to customer – from renewable power to green hydrogen distribution – where different partners can collaborate on achieving the scale to realise this ambition.
- New wind farms in North Sea feed a mega-hydrogen facility in Eemshaven, possibly complemented with offshore hydrogen production.
- The ambition is to generate around 3 to 4 GW of wind energy for hydrogen production before 2030, possibly 10 GW around 2040.
- Green hydrogen production of 800,000 tonnes, avoids around 7 megaton CO2 emissions annually.
- Gasunie infrastructure transports green hydrogen to industrial customers in the Netherlands and Northwest Europe.
- A large green hydrogen buffer provides the necessary flexibility because solar and wind energy are susceptible to fluctuations.
- Province of Groningen becomes the European centre of green hydrogen production and a European example as the first European Hydrogen Valley.
- The investments in NortH2 can create thousands of jobs in the northern Netherlands.
- The project is expected to start this year with the kick-off of a feasibility study.
A consortium of Gasunie, Groningen Seaports and Shell Nederland announces today that they intend to launch the NortH2 project: the production of green hydrogen using renewable electricity generated by a mega offshore wind farm, 3 to 4 gigawatts in 2030, contributing to the objectives of the Dutch Climate Accord. Additionally, it has the ambition to grow to about 10 gigawatts around 2040. Green hydrogen production, initially in the Eemshaven and later possibly also offshore, is expected to be around 800,000 tonnes per year by 2040. This would avoid about seven megatonnes of CO2 per year. NortH2 has the support of the province of Groningen and is looking for partners to expand the consortium and realise this project.
Green hydrogen, produced with renewable sources such as wind and solar energy, is central to the Dutch Climate Accord and the European ‘Green Deal’. At present, industry is already using large quantities of hydrogen, but this mainly produced from natural gas. Replacement with green hydrogen contributes significantly to the decarbonisation of the industry.
First of all, NortH2 envisages the construction of very significant wind farms in the North Sea, which can gradually grow to a capacity of about 10 gigawatts. This would be sufficient to meet the current electricity consumption of some 12.5 million Dutch households. Many wind turbines will need to be installed to enable this. The first ones could be ready in 2027 and will be used for green hydrogen production.
In addition, the plan provides for a large electrolyser in the Eemshaven, where wind energy is converted into green hydrogen. The consortium is also considering the possibilty of placing electrolysers offshore.
Finally, a smart transport network in the Netherlands and Northwest Europe is required to deliver the 800,000 tonnes of green hydrogen to mainly industry, and later possibly also to consumers. This could save an estimated seven megatonnes of CO2 emissions per year around 2040. In this project, Gasunie’s natural gas infrastructure – which is now mainly used for natural gas and green gas – is also used for the storage and transport of hydrogen.
Marjan van Loon, President-Director of Shell Nederland: “Together, we are launching an ambition that puts the Netherlands at the forefront of hydrogen globally. In addition, it contributes to achieving the objectives of the Dutch Climate Accord and accelerates the energy transition. This project offers opportunities throughout the entire hydrogen chain. In addition, it fits well with our New Energies aspirations and our ambitions to find new ways to reduce CO2 emisions and deliver more and cleaner energy, at home, on the go and at work. In order to realise this project, we will need several new partners. Together we will have to pioneer and innovate to bring together all the available knowledge and skills that are required. The energy transition calls for guts, boldness, and action.”
First wind turbines in 2027
The project is expected to start this year with the kick-off of a feasibility study. If the outcome is successful, the consortium hopes to produce the first hydrogen by 2027. This depends, among other things, on permits from governments, the assignment of new wind farm locations in the North Sea, the available locations for the hydrogen facility/facilities and the final investment decisions of the parties concerned. The realisation therefore partly depends on the contributions of various industrial and energy partners. NortH2's partners anticipate that the initial project phases may potentially require European and national subsidies available for the decarbonisation of energy.
Han Fennema, CEO Gasunie: “The Netherlands has a leading position in the shift to a hydrogen economy. We have the North Sea for the production of wind, the ports as logistical hubs, and the industrial clusters that want to make the switch to green molecules and a suitable transport network. This comes together perfectly in the northern Netherlands at the Groningen Seaports where the conversion to hydrogen takes place, with storage in Zuidwending and an ambitious province. If we want to realise our climate ambitions, we must have large-scale infrastructure in good time. With these partners, and hopefully even more partners soon, we are helping the market to accelerate the transition to renewable energy.”
Absorb fluctuations
Because there are fluctuations in solar and wind energy, it is important to convert them into other energy carriers, such as hydrogen. Using the latest technologies, hydrogen is relatively easy and safe to produce, and can be stored easily, unlike electricity.
Northern Netherlands
The north of the Netherlands is well-positioned to become the centre of green hydrogen in the Netherlands and Northwest Europe. The North Sea has a great potential for large-scale wind energy, the Eemshaven is an important link between offshore wind energy and the production of green hydrogen onshore. Natural gas infrastructure is suitable for storage and large-scale transport of hydrogen from the northern Netherlands to the rest of the Netherlands and Northwest Europe.
Cas König, CEO of Groningen Seaports, adds: “We are already actively building the green industry of the future in the north of the Netherlands. An important part of industry in Delfzijl is already using hydrogen and the construction of Europe’s largest green hydrogen facility in our port city is imminent. Because of this, industry can decarbonise significantly and has the ability to continue growth, as a result of which our position is strengthened even further. Green industry in the North also makes a concrete contribution to the climate targets of the Netherlands for 2030. Our target is to become Europe’s largest green hydrogen chain with the northern Netherlands at the centre.”
Next steps
This announcement is the start of the further development of the multi-partner project to form a broad coalition necessary for making a success of this large-scale project. It is also the beginning of the feasibility study as well as discussions with the relevant European, national, regional and local authorities on the regulatory and policy frameworks, enabling stable and positive investment decisions.
Update december 2020
In December 2020, the consortium welcomed new international partners RWE and Equinor and presented the first results of the feasibility study. Please click here for this message.
Europe’s largest green hydrogen project
Title: NortH2 animation video
Duration: 2:46 minutes
Description:
An animation video providing an overview of the NortH2 project plans.
An animation with voice over describes the ambitions for the NortH2 project in which a new wind energy facility will be constructed to supply energy to a hydrogen production facility in the Eemshaven in Groningen.
NortH2 animation video Transcript
[Text displays]
Europe’s largest green energy project?
[Background music plays]
Throughout the video, soft up-beat music plays in the background.
[Video footage]
A sequence of areal footage of the Province of Groningen is shown.
[Voice over plays]
The largest green hydrogen project in Europe may arise in Groningen. A megaproject that could help bring both the Netherlands and northwest-Europe in a great leap forward to net zero CO2 emissions in 2050.
[Video footage - animation]
An animated globe is seen. The camera zooms in on the Netherlands. A map of the nether on which the camera zooms in on the Province of Groningen. After this, a building is shown with equipment inside.
[Voice over plays]
Global CO2 emissions must be reduced significantly over the years to come. Everyone, including industry, need to reduce their emissions. Green hydrogen plays an important role in the transition to a cleaner energy system. With power from renewable energy sources, we can produce green hydrogen and bring clean energy from the source to the consumer.
[Video footage - animation]
A close-up of a spinning windmill is shown.
[Voice over plays]
But to produce enough green hydrogen, we need more green power. Much more than is available now.
[Video footage - animation]
A field with an array of solar panels is shown. The camera moves up to show a group of windmills. The camera keeps moving up into the sky. The logos of Gasunie, Groningen Seaports, Shell and the Province of Groningen appear.
[Voice over plays]
That is why a consortium comprising Gasunie, Groningen Seaports and Shell, supported by the Province of Groningen, has the ambition to realize the largest green hydrogen value chain in Europe.
[Video footage - animation]
Separate windmill components are shown coming together to form a windmill. The video cuts to an aerial view of a sea. As the camera moves up it is revealed that there are many windmills placed throughout the water.[Voice over plays]
The vision is to realize a large wind farm in the North Sea, which could generate 3 to 4 gigawatts of electricity by 2030. That is more than 3 million Dutch households consume each year and 4 times as much as today's largest Dutch wind farm is generating.
[Video footage - animation]
The camera moves away from the windmills, across the sea, into a building with equipment inside.
[Voice over plays]
The new wind farm will be connected to a hydrogen facility in the Eemshaven. This facility, a so-called electrolyser, brings together electricity and water in a process called electrolysis. In this process, water is split into oxygen molecules and hydrogen molecules.
[Video footage - animation]
The camera moves into the equipment. Two vats of water are shown with electrodes inside them. In each of the vats small bubbles can be seen rising to the top.
[Voice over plays]
The hydrogen molecules can then be transported to the main industrial clusters in the Netherlands and northwest-Europe via an extensive network of existing and new gas pipelines.
[Video footage - animation]
The camera starts traveling through a gas pipeline towards an industrial cluster. The camera moves up and out of the pipeline to reveal the industrial facility.
[Voice over plays]
In the long term, green hydrogen will replace the hydrogen that is currently still made from, for example, natural gas. In addition to industrial use, this clean energy carrier could also be used for other applications in the future.
[Video footage - animation]
A truck is seen pulling up to the industrial facility. The camera moves up into the sky. The words “10 gigawatt” and “7 megaton” appear in the sky.
[Voice over plays]
The ambition is to eventually install more than 10 gigawatts of wind energy to produce green hydrogen. Ultimately, we can save no less than seven megatons of CO2 emissions per year. A substantial contribution to the great challenge we all face.
[Video footage - animation]
A map of the Netherlands, zoomed in on Groningen, is shown with a hydrogen production facility on it. The camera zooms out and from the facility in Groningen, blue lines start branching out across the country and over the Dutch borders. As the camera continues to zoom out, a group of windmills can be seen in the sea above Groningen.
[Voice over plays]
The consortium has made a good start. But co-operation is crucial for the project to succeed, and a broader movement is necessary, with a fundamental role for the government. That is why we are happy to join forces and work together to make our mark on the horizon.
[Video footage - animation]
The camera moves across the sea, through a group of windmills, towards the sun setting behind the horizon.
[Voice over plays]
Together we can make the northern Netherlands the center of green hydrogen supply, for both the Netherlands and northwest-Europe.
[Video footage - animation]
The map of the Netherlands is shown again. The text “European Hydrogen Valley” appears next to the hydrogen facility in Groningen.
[Voice over plays]
NortH2. Together for green hydrogen.
[Video footage - animation]
The NortH2 logo appears against a white background. After that, the logos of Shell, Groningen Seaports, Gasunie and the Province of Groningen also appear.
Meer Shell
Waterstof
Waterstof speelt een sleutelrol bij het slagen van de Nederlandse energietransitie. En dan bij voorkeur groene waterstof, gemaakt met stroom uit wind of zon en zonder uitstoot van CO2.
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