Dutch pour more money into hydrogen subsidy

The Netherlands will increase subsidy for the production of green hydrogen, which is hydrogen made from renewable sources of energy by €1 billion euros from next year and an additional €3.9 billion in subsequent years, the country's government announced.

Rob Jetten, the country's climate minister, said in a statement, "We want to significantly increase hydrogen production in the Netherlands, which is indispensable for reaching our CO2 reduction targets."

The Netherlands, which relies on oil and gas for up to 80 percent of its energy, has outlined a 10-year plan to shift to cleaner fuels, and plans to spend as much as €35 billion on its energy transition.

Of that, the government has earmarked €9 billion exclusively for hydrogen, including €750 million for a national hydrogen transport network. The low-lying nation is seeking to set up capacity for at least 4 gigawatt (GW) of green hydrogen by 2030 and 8 GW by 2032.

The country is home to several large-scale green hydrogen projects – such as the Port of Rotterdam's 24 hectare site on the Maasvlakte seafront – as well as specialized industry clusters and laboratories aimed at researching, developing, piloting and implementing new technologies. The country has also signed deals with California on regulation and use of new technologies for charging of electric vehicles.