'It is extremely energising to see that we are now united, with so many parties from the industry and knowledge world, in making a real start on rapidly achieving our target of 3 to 4 GW in 2030', says Sandor Gaastra, Director-General of Climate and Energy.

'Holland High Tech, the top sector HTSM, is poised to develop the machines and components needed for the competitive generation of green hydrogen. In doing so, we are enabling the chain from generation to use in the Netherlands.' Marc Hendrikse, figurehead Holland High Tech.

The Netherlands is becoming a hydrogen hub by integrating three functionalities: hydrogen production, a hydrogen roundabout and hydrogen consumption and green chemistry. With this dot on the horizon, the GroenvermogenNL programme board, which took office this spring, took the round table along with it in its vision of an ecosystem for hydrogen and green chemistry in the Netherlands. Marjan Oudeman, chairwoman of the board: "With € 838 million from the National Growth Fund, GroenvermogenNL really does have some leverage. We want to use the resources to accelerate, to connect strengths in the Netherlands and to help create an ecosystem". Director General of Business and Innovation Focco Vijselaar was immediately pleased to add the opening of the first subsidy scheme to support demonstration projects for upscaling hydrogen and green chemistry. The almost €30 million comes from GroenvermogenNL.

Three key projects

The roundtable presented a joint proposal to accelerate three key projects. A great deal is currently happening in the field of hydrogen and green chemistry. From that overview, the round table selected three projects whose urgency is widely shared around the table. 'They are an expertise centre in the field of hydrogen safety, a project aimed at import infrastructure and a portfolio approach for national pilot and demo projects. With these key projects, the round table is accelerating work on three essential preconditions for a future hydrogen ecosystem', says Marco Waas, one of the initiators of the round table.

'In the Netherlands, we are working on many studies and projects at the same time. We see the key projects as necessary to link initiatives and to achieve real large-scale action'. Hans van der Weijde, chairman roadmap team High Tech Materials.

Financing

In order to scale up new technology to commercial plants, in addition to public financing of the unprofitable top end, capital from the market is also needed to make investment decisions. The roundtable met with Barbara Baarsma, CEO of Rabo Carbon Bank and Professor of Market and Competition Economics at the University of Amsterdam, to discuss the Dutch investment climate. What can the Netherlands do to get banks, insurers and pension funds to invest more in sustainability in the Netherlands? The roundtable wants to continue this dialogue with the financial sector.

About the roundtable on hydrogen and green chemistry

The Roundtable operates on the instructions of the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate (EZK) and is a six-monthly administrative meeting between sector representatives from industry and SMEs, TSOs and knowledge partners. The roundtable is a catalyst for scaling up cooperation in the field of hydrogen and green chemistry in the Netherlands and for becoming "the state of the art". The roundtable advises GroenvermogenNL (growth fund programme) and supports the National Hydrogen Programme (NWP) by defining joint development directions and translating sector ambitions into agreements. Composed on the basis of a representative delegation from a national perspective, i.e. C-level management at companies and knowledge parties that play a major role in the field of hydrogen and green chemistry in the Netherlands.