Groenleven, the Dutch arm of German renewable energy company BayWa re, and Alliander, the largest utility in the Netherlands, have commissioned the Netherlands' first photovoltaic hydrogen production site in Oosterwolde in the Dutch province of Friesland. “Alliander and GroenLeven will study how hydrogen can play a role in areas where the grid is insufficient to accommodate new large-scale solar installations,” the companies said, referring to recent grid capacity issues in the north of the Netherlands.

In particular, Alliander wants to assess whether congestion on the region's grid can be reduced or prevented, and whether hydrogen can reduce resource expenditures for grid expansion.

The hydrogen production unit will be operated by Alliander and will be connected to a nearby 50MW solar park operated by Groenleven. Local taxi company Kort and fuel supplier OrangeGas will buy green hydrogen from the new facility for an undisclosed price. "It is expected to produce 100,000 kilograms of hydrogen per year, which is enough to support about 10 million kilometers of cleaning trips for passenger cars," Alliander said. GroenLeven will study how to store green hydrogen and use it for other uses.

Daan Schut, CEO of the company, emphasized, "Through the pilot project we have implemented with GroenLeven, we will have the opportunity to determine whether hydrogen can contribute to our efficient use of the grid. By producing hydrogen from electricity generated by the solar park, and By using it as a fuel to drive cars, our grid is less burdened without losing sustainably generated energy.”

According to the Dutch energy provider, hydrogen is expected to begin circulating through the unit's pipelines for the first time in June.

Alliander recently reported that congestion on the company's medium-voltage grid is increasing due to rapidly growing demand from solar projects, data centers and other energy-intensive industries such as the greenhouse-horticulture sector. Dutch transmission system operator Enexis, natural gas infrastructure company Gasunie and energy company Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV (NAM) began considering the use of excess solar power capacity in the northeast of the Netherlands to produce hydrogen in late 2019.Groenleven, the Dutch arm of German renewable energy company BayWa re, and Alliander, the largest utility in the Netherlands, have commissioned the Netherlands' first photovoltaic hydrogen production site in Oosterwolde in the Dutch province of Friesland. “Alliander and GroenLeven will study how hydrogen can play a role in areas where the grid is insufficient to accommodate new large-scale solar installations,” the companies said, referring to recent grid capacity issues in the north of the Netherlands.

In particular, Alliander wants to assess whether congestion on the region's grid can be reduced or prevented, and whether hydrogen can reduce resource expenditures for grid expansion.

The hydrogen production unit will be operated by Alliander and will be connected to a nearby 50MW solar park operated by Groenleven. Local taxi company Kort and fuel supplier OrangeGas will buy green hydrogen from the new facility for an undisclosed price. "It is expected to produce 100,000 kilograms of hydrogen per year, which is enough to support about 10 million kilometers of cleaning trips for passenger cars," Alliander said. GroenLeven will study how to store green hydrogen and use it for other uses.

Daan Schut, CEO of the company, emphasized, "Through the pilot project we have implemented with GroenLeven, we will have the opportunity to determine whether hydrogen can contribute to our efficient use of the grid. By producing hydrogen from electricity generated by the solar park, and By using it as a fuel to drive cars, our grid is less burdened without losing sustainably generated energy.”

According to the Dutch energy provider, hydrogen is expected to begin circulating through the unit's pipelines for the first time in June.

Alliander recently reported that congestion on the company's medium-voltage grid is increasing due to rapidly growing demand from solar projects, data centers and other energy-intensive industries such as the greenhouse-horticulture sector. Dutch transmission system operator Enexis, natural gas infrastructure company Gasunie and energy company Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV (NAM) began considering the use of excess solar power capacity in the northeast of the Netherlands to produce hydrogen in late 2019.