Optimising hydrogen production using electrolysis

We are working in various ways on optimising and reducing the cost of producing green hydrogen. Electrolysis is a proven technology. But there are still several challenges and opportunities for the high-tech manufacturing industry for its large-scale deployment.

Scaling up electrolysis by a factor of a thousand

The capacity of the electrolysers, which we are currently installing in subsidised pilots, is no greater than 1 to 10 megawatts. To supply our country with CO2-free hydrogen, we need to move towards gigawatt-scale electrolysis. This means scaling up by a factor of a thousand. Once these electrolysers are in place, we should use them preferably:

• in sectors that are difficult to make sustainable, such as the steel industry, heavy road traffic, aviation and shipping
• for supplying electricity during periods without wind or sun
• to integrate the large amount of wind at sea into our energy system by converting some of it into hydrogen

Drastically reducing costs

Also, the cost of producing green hydrogen is still 2 to 3 times too high for it to be able to compete with grey hydrogen produced from natural gas. The comparison with today's natural gas, without CO2 capture, is no longer relevant in the long term because it releases enormous amounts of CO2.

The electrolysers need to come down in price because they are in use only part of the time, solely for renewable electricity. In the case of offshore wind, this is approximately 4,000 hours a year. We are working with manufacturers and suppliers on new components, alternative materials and circular designs to significantly reduce costs and increase lifespan. This would remove the barrier to large-scale production of sustainable hydrogen. Would you, as a manufacturer or supplier, like to participate? Then don’t hesitate to contact us.

Electrolyser production: opportunity for Dutch manufacturing industry

Hydrogen is one of the pillars of the energy transition and can be the growth engine for a new economy. The Netherlands is leading the way internationally as a supplier of electrolysers. This emerges from an exploration we did together with FME, the entrepreneurs' organisation for the technological industry. But there is still some way to go to achieve this. Currently, the Netherlands lacks a fully-fledged industry that can produce electrolysers on a large scale.