This week, 15,000 people gathered at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam. For many countries, including the Netherlands, hydrogen is an indispensable link in the development towards a sustainable energy system. Discussions at the conference showed that there are still major obstacles to the creation of this new chain.
Growth in demand for hydrogen The emphasis of the summit was on developing the demand for hydrogen. In the Netherlands we also see that investment decisions for the production of hydrogen are difficult to make due to uncertain demand. At the conference it became clear that there is a lot of uncertainty in Europe about the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), which should stimulate the demand for green hydrogen through a mandatory reduction in industry and mobility.
Fortunately, efforts were also underway to find solutions to these obstacles. Possibilities were discussed whereby the additional costs for mandatory purchase of green hydrogen could be better included in the final price for the consumer. The further development of the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is seen as an important pillar for maintaining fair competition when implementing an ambitious European climate policy.
Infrastructure and technology development The developments in the port of Rotterdam are being followed with great interest by the rest of the world. In addition to national production, imports of green and blue hydrogen will also become important, incl. transit to Germany. The development of infrastructure is important here. It is progressive that the first part of a hydrogen network is already being built in the port of Rotterdam. In most countries this is still on the drawing board.
A lot of attention was paid to technological development during the summit. Last year it was expected that prices of electrolysers would drop. The reality is that prices have risen sharply last year, partly because producers can still hardly count on stable purchases. At the fair, held during the summit, a number of new technologies were presented that could ultimately lead to a significant price drop due to higher efficiency or lifespan.
A new World Hydrogen Summit will be organized next year. Energie-Nederland continues to work on an improved investment climate in the Netherlands so that more investment decisions can be made.
