Offshore hydrogen production
We are pausing preparations for offshore hydrogen production and transport. This is stated in the Klimaat- en Energienota of 16 September 2025. On this page, you can read what this means for the 2 demonstration projects that were planned.
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No demonstration projects for the next 5 years
Because preparations for offshore hydrogen are on hold, no new offshore hydrogen infrastructure will be built for the next 5 years. Therefore, the 2 offshore hydrogen demonstration projects are also on hold. We wanted to gain experience with these projects to reduce risks and implement projects at the lowest possible cost.
Why is offshore hydrogen on hold?
The development of offshore hydrogen is linked to offshore wind energy plans. Initially, the goal was to have 50 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power generation capacity by 2040. This has been adjusted to 30-40 GW by 2040, because electricity demand will be lower than previously anticipated. The hydrogen market is also developing more slowly than anticipated. As a result, offshore hydrogen production will not be necessary in the coming years.
New plans
A new version of the Nationaal plan energiesysteem (NPE) will be published in 2026. There, you will find the plans for hydrogen development in the Netherlands. As soon as new information about offshore hydrogen production becomes available, you will read it here.
How does offshore hydrogen production work?
Some companies near the coast use electricity from offshore wind farms to produce hydrogen. This is also possible offshore, at the wind farm itself. In that case, we install an electrolyser at the wind farm to produce hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be transported onshore through a pipeline.
Research into offshore hydrogen production
Offshore hydrogen production is still a new field. Therefore, research and demonstration are required first. You can apply for subsidies and programs with us.
View all subsidies and programs for hydrogen (in Dutch)
Funding for research is also available from the Klimaatfonds. The precise allocation is not yet known. Even though the schedule for the demonstration projects is changing, research can still begin. The demonstration projects can use the results of this research.
Learning objectives targeted by the demonstration projects
The following document present 5 themes, complete with learning objectives, for the offshore hydrogen production demonstration projects. We included these learning objectives in the previous survey of interest.
Want to know more?
- Klimaat- en Energienota 2025 (in Dutch)
- Results of the online consultation on the call for proposals for demonstration project 1 (in Dutch)
- Results from the survey of interest concerning offshore hydrogen production
- Letter to Parliament on the Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap and offshore hydrogen demonstration project 1 (in Dutch)
- Knowledge platform offshore hydrogen production: Hydrogen empowering revolutionary offshore wind (HEROW)
- Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth
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