The Dutch government is supporting the construction of a 50-MW electrolyser in Eemshaven. RWE has received a funding commitment of 124.9 million euros for its Eemshydrogen project. The green electricity for the electrolyser will come from the RWE Westereems wind farm, located just about 5 kilometers away.
In this project, RWE plans a 50-MW electrolyser at the power plant site in Eemshaven, Groningen Province. By the end of 2024, the company aims to make the final investment decision. A crucial condition for this is the timely connection of the site to the necessary infrastructure, such as the national hydrogen backbone.
RWE has already obtained an environmental and construction permit for Eemshydrogen. Additionally, RWE is already in contact with potential customers. The company intends to contract suppliers for the components and construction of the facility after the investment decision. The Eemshydrogen facility is scheduled to commence operations in 2027.
Dutch Electrolysis Capacity
The Dutch government has developed various subsidy and financing instruments to boost hydrogen production. One such program is the "Subsidy Program for Promoting Dutch Investments in the Production of Green Hydrogen through Electrolysis" (OWE). RWE applied for a grant from this program in the first round of OWE submissions and has now received the funding approval.
The facility is intended to supply the transportation sector and the chemical industry with green hydrogen and will help reduce carbon emissions in Northwest Europe in the future. By 2050, the Netherlands aims to be carbon-neutral. To achieve this, the country plans to build an electrolysis capacity of 8 gigawatts with adequate storage facilities and infrastructure by 2032.
In June 2022, RWE took over the hydrogen-capable Magnum gas power station, located in close proximity to the power plant in Eemshaven. The 1,560-MW facility, previously owned by Vattenfall, operates on coal and biomass.
