First large-scale green hydrogen plant in the Benelux

VoltH2 has commissioned Sweco to design two green hydrogen plants in the North Sea Port area: in Vlissingen and Terneuzen (the Netherlands). Thanks to these 25 MW hydrogen electrolysis plants, millions of kilos of hydrogen will be produced from wind energy within a few years.

Hydrogen is seen as an important element in making our energy mix more sustainable. Hydrogen is one of the cornerstones of energy transition that will be receiving a lot more attention in the coming years. Today, however, hydrogen is largely produced from natural gas. The two planned hydrogen plants will generate green hydrogen using electricity from wind energy at sea.

Sweco’s expert teams deliver integrated solutions

The hydrogen plants are strategically located in North Sea Port, within an industrial cluster and proximate to existing high voltage power and gas infrastructure as well as large renewable power producing assets for the supply of green electricity. The construction uses technology that has already been successfully applied in the industry and is available from various suppliers. Local filling stations can also be supplied through the integration of hydrogen storage.

In many projects, Sweco forms project teams that span multiple disciplines and countries to provide clients with the best overall solution. An international team of around 70 consultants from Sweco Belgium and the Netherlands helped the client VoltH2 design and plan the large-scale hydrogen plants in the Netherlands.

The Belgian team was responsible for the complete design, while the Dutch team handled the necessary permits and the subsidies. In the Netherlands, employees from seven different business areas participated, which shows the range of skills needed in this type of large-scale hydrogen projects.

Organising an international team of Belgian and Dutch specialists, Sweco was able to carry out the entire project in an integrated manner. In this way, the client had access to all the necessary expertise while Sweco’s cross-border team was able to complement each other.

Sweco is also involved in other green hydrogen developments in the Netherlands and Belgium with the deployment of engineering for infrastructure, compression, cooling and storage modalities according to the strict safety requirements for high pressure hydrogen.

Positive impact on the entire value chain of hydrogen

VoltH2’s 25 MW green hydrogen plant in Vlissingen can produce up to 3,500 tonnes of green hydrogen per year, scalable up to 100 MW (14,000 tonnes). For context, one kilo of hydrogen is enough to drive a car 100 km. The production plant can be connected to the European Hydrogen Backbone – the dedicated hydrogen infrastructure traversing Europe.

Additionally, VoltH2 has received permits for a second green hydrogen plant in Terneuzen, in joint development with Virya Energy, also with an initial capacity of 3,500 tonnes hydrogen per year, scalable up to 75 MW (10,500 tonnes). Following the permitting phase, Sweco is currently working as owner’s engineer in the next project phases. VoltH2 is also actively developing additional sites in Belgium, France, and Germany.