Dutch gas infrastructure operator Gasunie has inaugurated the first major section of its hydrogen backbone in the Port of Rotterdam: a 32-km pipeline that strengthens the region’s emerging hydrogen network. The pipeline runs entirely within the industrial port area in the province of South Holland, connecting the Maasvlakte area, specifically the Maasvlakte 2 expansion on the North Sea coast, with Pernis, an important petrochemical and refining hub further inland along the Nieuwe Maas river.

The new pipeline links two key energy zones within the port. At Maasvlakte, large-scale developments in green hydrogen production are taking shape, including projects powered by offshore wind energy. At Pernis and the surrounding Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, hydrogen is already widely used in refining and chemical processes.

By connecting these areas, the pipeline enables the transport of low-carbon hydrogen from future production sites directly to existing industrial users, supporting the replacement of conventional fossil-based hydrogen. “Construction of the national hydrogen network began in October 2023.