Industrial gas company Air Products is at the forefront of the global energy transition, with decades of experience in hydrogen technologies including low carbon and renewable hydrogen production projects. The company first decided to invest in Holland in 1967 and is now a key enabler of green economic growth by helping industries decarbonize, positioning the Netherlands as a European hydrogen hub.
Building on Air Products’ current hydrogen activities in the Netherlands, new investments are made in a large-scale low-carbon hydrogen plant that concerns retrofitting their existing HyCO4 hydrogen plant with carbon capture technology, a hydrogen refuelling station and a second liquid hydrogen plant in Rotterdam. There are also plans to invest in a renewable energy facility to produce hydrogen from imported ammonia. To realise all these energy transition projects, a project delivery office was opened in The Hague, bringing high-skilled and future-proof jobs to the Netherlands.
Investing in a sustainable future
Air Products’ initiatives align with the Dutch commitment to create a sustainable future. In the Netherlands, businesses innovate and build smart solutions that benefit people and the planet. Hydrogen is changing the way the world can move toward fully renewable options for storing and transporting energy. Air Products’ operations in the Netherlands are strategic and beneficial for both the company and the country.
The energy transition in the Netherlands is in full swing. “Rotterdam is Europe’s largest energy transit port with a high demand for hydrogen and the ambition to become Europe’s hydrogen hub. Moreover, the port area and its industry have an ambitious sustainability strategy with commitment to hydrogen production, transport infrastructure, import and applications in industry and transport,” explains Paul Hoogeveen, Director Tonnage & Gas at Air Products. “The city and port area offer strategic access for receiving renewable energy from locations operated by Air Products and its partners from around the world. Renewable hydrogen and ammonia will be processed and distributed to markets within Europe, including the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.”
Air Products is not only benefitting from operating in Rotterdam but is contributing to the region’s energy transition. The company will supply and operate one of the largest hydrogen filling stations in the Netherlands, focused on hydrogen in heavy road transport. It is also a launching customer for the Porthos Carbon Capture and Storage project, “which aims to make possible climate-friendly manufacturing of low carbon hydrogen for Rotterdam’s industries.”
Connecting to Europe and the world from the Netherlands
Air Products is helping to make the energy transition a reality through its operations in the Netherlands.
“Rotterdam offers one of the best organized industrial infrastructures of any global region, allowing efficient development and operation of highly integrated manufacturing value chains, with access to world class logistics connecting to Europe and the world,” said Hoogeveen. “Not only that, but the city also has a good reputation for getting things done. Take, for instance, public-private partnerships. These are key in accelerating the energy transition. We need each other to develop a supportive regulatory framework and right incentives to enable green investments.”
The Netherlands’ commitment to innovation and clean energy provides a fertile ground for companies like Air Products. In fact, the Dutch government is investing €500 million into green hydrogen, with the aim of stimulating a €1.25 billion hydrogen industry.
With a thriving ecosystem for research and development, coupled with a strong chemical industry, the Netherlands is an attractive location for companies seeking to lead clean energy initiatives. The Invest in Holland Network, including Rotterdam Partners and The Hague & Partners, also offer personalized support to companies like Air Products. Investors will find the Dutch triple helix approach – collaboration between companies, government and academia – a welcoming ecosystem to contribute to solutions not just for the Netherlands, but for the world.
Source: Rotterdam Partners
