Opportunities for green hydrogen for the manufacturing industry investigated

This is now being done in cooperation with almost all the provincial authorities. By joining forces, targeted actions can be taken much more quickly and companies can be supported in realising innovations in the field of hydrogen production. These should benefit the future users of hydrogen in the industrial, transport and energy sectors.

Making a difference

The international market for the manufacture of electrolysers has a limited number of players, the capacity of the devices is still far too low, production can be much more efficient and there is no well-organised chain of component suppliers. Dutch manufacturing can make a difference in all these areas. The companies can make use of TNO's advanced research and testing facilities, such as the Faraday laboratory in Petten and the open innovation MegaWatt Test Centre in Groningen.

Playing trump cards

Earlier this year, FME conducted extensive research into the opportunities of hydrogen for industry. In addition to the manufacture of new types of central heating boilers and high-pressure tanks, electrolysis is one of the trump cards that the manufacturing industry can play. To increase the capacity of the electrolysers and to reduce the costs, many innovations are needed. Our specialist manufacturing companies, which are key suppliers to major European industries such as the German car manufacturers, have everything they need to play a significant role in this. Coordinated collaboration between TNO, FME and almost all the provincial authorities could accelerate this development.

New activity and employment

FME has made an initial inventory of the technologies that industry should focus on, promising regional hotspots, clusters of companies and parties (industry players, knowledge institutions and public authorities) with whom cooperation is self-evident. Together with TNO, the foresight studies for the market, technology and regions will be made more concrete in the coming period. Opportunities abound. Although much research on hydrogen and its applications has been done worldwide, the production of electrolysers that produce green hydrogen on an industrial scale at relatively low cost has not yet been realised anywhere. Having a production line for these devices can become a new industry in our country, resulting in new business and employment.

TNO and FME are happy to enter into discussions with companies that want to participate in this initiative and play a role in a new, innovative industry in our country.