Gasunie has launched a 32 km hydrogen pipeline in the port of Rotterdam that connects the Maasvlakte and Pernis. This marks the first operational part of the Dutch hydrogen backbone and enables future expansion to national and cross-border hydrogen networks.
Dutch gas infrastructure manager Gasunie has inaugurated the first major section of its hydrogen backbone in the Port of Rotterdam: a 32 km pipeline that strengthens the emerging hydrogen network in the region. The pipeline runs entirely within the industrial port area in the province of South Holland and connects the Maasvlakte area, in particular the extension of Maasvlakte 2 on the North Sea coast, with Pernis, an important petrochemical and refining hub further inland along the Nieuwe Maas. The new pipeline connects two important energy zones within the port. Large-scale developments in green hydrogen production are taking shape on the Maasvlakte, including projects powered by offshore wind energy. At Pernis and the surrounding Energy and Chemical Park Rotterdam, hydrogen is already widely used in refining and chemical processes. By connecting these areas, the pipeline will enable the transport of low-carbon hydrogen from future production sites directly to existing industrial users, supporting the replacement of conventional fossil-based hydrogen. “The construction of the national hydrogen network started in October 2023. With the completion of this first part, hydrogen can now be transported from production locations on the Maasvlakte to industrial users.” said Gasunie adds that the network will be further expanded in the coming years to connect the major industrial regions in the Netherlands, as well as storage facilities and networks in Germany and Belgium. Meawnhile, Gasunie and the German transmission system operators Open Grid Europe And Thyssengas signed an agreement to jointly develop a cross-border hydrogen connection between the Netherlands and Germany. “The companies aim to realize the connection between Zevenaar and Elten around 2031,” said the Dutch company.
University of Lausanne and that of Germany GFZ Helmholtz Center for Geosciences have shown that erosion plays an important but complex role in the formation and accumulation of so-called “natural” hydrogen. Their findings suggest that the western Pyrenees, and to a lesser extent the central Italian Alps, could be promising targets for natural hydrogen exploration. Using numerical plate tectonics models, the researchers showed that “erosion can promote the upward movement of mantle rocks toward the surface, improving conditions for serpentinization and thereby increasing the potential for natural hydrogen production.” Serpentinization is a geological process in which water reacts with iron- and magnesium-rich mantle rocks such as peridotite, producing hydrogen. However, the research also points to a limiting factor. “Erosion that is too rapid or too intense can reduce this potential, either by destroying reservoir rocks or by changing the temperature conditions necessary for hydrogen formation,” the researchers explained in a study. paper published in JGR Solid Earth.
Colombian Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) has launched the Single User System (SUU), which allows individuals, companies and developers to apply for tax incentive certificates for hydrogen-related projects. The mechanism includes white hydrogen exploration, as well as green and blue hydrogen activities including production, transportation, distribution, storage, compression, conditioning and end-use applications.
Indias Advait Energy Transitions signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Norway’s Teco Fuel Cell Technology during the third India-Nordic Summit in Oslo. According to a joint press release, “The MoU creates a framework for hydrogen fuel cell manufacturing in India. Under the collaboration, Teco Fuel Cell Technology AS and co-development partner AVL List GmbH of Austria will bring their jointly developed 400 kW hydrogen fuel cell module, along with a 100 kW hydrogen fuel cell stack, to India for local manufacturing, customization and deployment.” The collaboration focuses on production for stationary energy applications, including data centers, from the first quarter of 2027, while production for heavy transport, mobility, maritime and marine applications is expected to begin in 2028.
Ohmium And Renew CO₂ have announced a collaboration to bring electrochemical CO₂ conversion technology to commercial scale. Ohmium, a US-based manufacturer of modular proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, will collaborate with RenewCO₂, which has developed processes for converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels. “We provide Ohmium with manufacturing expertise and electrolyzer platform that will allow us to scale quickly. Together we will transform CO₂ from liability to resource and accelerate this industrial shift,” said Anders Laursen, CEO of RenewCO₂.
Uniper hydrogen has launched an Open Season process for capacity at the planned hydrogen import terminal in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The Open Season consists of two consecutive phases. In the first phase, which ends on June 15, market participants are invited to submit an expression of interest indicating their desired capacity. Capacity reservations are confirmed in the subsequent allocation process. In the second phase, Heads of Terms will be issued as the basis for a Terminal Use Agreement, which will be developed with participating shippers. The process concludes with the signing of the Terminal Use Agreement, resulting in a binding capacity booking, the company said.
H2 Mobility will use six hydrogen trailers in the future to supply its filling stations. After a test phase of several weeks, the first two trailers have now been put into use, the company said in an emailed statement.
The European Commission has approved a €1.3 billion ($1.51 billion) German state aid program to support renewable hydrogen production under the European Hydrogen Bank’s “Auctions-as-a-Service” mechanism for the 2026 auction round. The support will be awarded through a competitive bidding process supervised by the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and the Environment (CINEA), the Commission said.
The Swedish Energy Agency’The Industriklivet initiative has awarded €21 million to SkyKraft, a joint venture between SkyNRG and Skellefteå Kraft. The funding will support the next phase of Project SkyKraft’s feasibility work, including design and engineering activities required to prepare for a final investment decision (FID) in 2027. Once operational, SkyKraft aims to produce up to 130,000 tonnes of eSAF annually using renewable electricity and biogenic CO₂.
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