Construction green hydrogen production Hysolar in full progress

Before the summer, Hysolar will start producing green hydrogen in Nieuwegein. Having already commissioned the Hysolar/Greenpoint hydrogen filling station in 2021, construction of the so-called electrolyser plant is now underway. Elsewhere in the Netherlands, various hydrogen projects are being postponed for one or more years, but Hysolar is already pushing ahead. And that is urgently needed, because customers are eager.

Solid preparation

By the end of 2023, all permits were in place, and a 1 km long underground pipeline connecting electrolyser and hydrogen filling station has already been constructed. That construction was carried out with a special drilling technique that has been used for the first time in the Netherlands for a hydrogen pipeline. “This is typical of our project: although we are using existing techniques as much as possible, at the same time we regularly have a first,” says Dik Raadgever, construction project leader. “In the month of May the installation will be completed, and immediately after that the step-by-step start-up, commissioning, will begin.” With the new plant, Hysolar will soon be able to produce 300,000 kg of green hydrogen per year. That is good for the annual consumption of about 60 buses or trucks.

Energy carrier without CO₂ emissions

How does it work again? Hydrogen can be used for mobility and power tools in three ways:

• In fuel cells that produce electricity that powers an electric motor
• In a specially developed fuel engine that uses hydrogen instead of diesel
• In a ‘dual fuel’ engine that uses a mixture of diesel and hydrogen

The first two are completely CO2-free, the third variant provides a reduction for a significant portion of CO2 emissions. Many manufacturers are busy developing and optimizing their techniques. The future will tell us which technique wins out.

Customer throughout the country

Passenger cars, trucks and power trucks have been able to visit Hysolar/Greenpoint’s hydrogen fueling station for years. Once Hysolar has started its own production, external filling stations and other customers can also be supplied from Nieuwegein using special pressurized cylinders. After all, green hydrogen is still a scarce commodity in the Netherlands. “Our customers cannot wait, so the sooner we can start producing green hydrogen, the better,” said Stan van Kessel, co-shareholder of Hysolar and holder of the Greenpoint network.

Part of the LIFE NEW HYTS project

The production of green hydrogen via electrolysis is part of the LIFE NEW HYTS project. Within this project, the transition to green hydrogen is being demonstrated regionally.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.