Hydrogen infrastructure

According to the Minister for Climate and Energy Policy, sustainable hydrogen will be indispensable if the Netherlands is to become climate-neutral. Hydrogen, he posits, is key to the sustainability of industry, the built environment, the transport sector and electricity generation. To achieve this ambition, hydrogen production capacity will have to be scaled up from the current 2 megawatts (May 2024) to 8 gigawatts in 2032. The minister has set aside nearly €9 billion in the Climate Fund for this. Projects may also be eligible for EU funding.

In the minister’s opinion, a market for sustainable hydrogen cannot be established without a national infrastructure that connects the 5 major industrial clusters of the Netherlands (Rotterdam, Zeeland, the North Sea Canal Zone, Eemshaven-Delfzijl and Chemelot) and that can be used to import and export hydrogen. Gasunie, the state-owned energy network operator, will build this national transport network in the years ahead. The government has reserved some €2 billion to fund the construction of import and storage facilities and a national hydrogen network.

What are we auditing?

We are auditing the effectiveness, efficiency and underpinning of the plans for a national hydrogen infrastructure, focusing on the following issues:

• We want to know whether the government will make the most efficient use of hydrogen by means of a national infrastructure.
• We will determine whether the government’s €2 billion investment is necessary to achieve its hydrogen ambitions.
• We will investigate whether the plans for a national hydrogen infrastructure align with energy policies in the Netherlands and abroad.
• We will consider the government’s exposure to the financial and non-financial risks of developing a national hydrogen infrastructure.

Why are we carrying out this audit?

The government is investing €2 billion in a national hydrogen infrastructure. It must connect hydrogen producers, import facilities and the companies that will use the hydrogen. Gasunie will receive government funding to build and operate the infrastructure. In our opinion, this substantial investment must be properly underpinned and carefully designed.

The audit is part of the Court of Audit’s Energy Transition Programme to investigate the Netherlands’ energy infrastructure. It is a logical sequel to previous audits of the infrastructure of state-owned enterprises: Carbon storage under the North Sea (2024), Staatsdeelnemingen in de energietransitie (2021) and Gas roundabout: needs and risks (2012).

Audit question

The key audit question is: Is policy on hydrogen infrastructure – including the use of government funding and state-owned enterprises – effective and efficient, will the financial and non-financial risks be adequately mitigated and has the House of Representatives been informed of the policy in full and in a timely manner?

Do you want to take part in this audit?

The Court of Audit invites you to share any information you may have that would benefit our audit. We appreciate all contributions, knowledge and experience you may care to share with us on this topic. Simply send an email to bijdrage@rekenkamer.nl.

We read all emails carefully and treat them in confidence. However, we are not able to reply to every contribution we receive.