Energy
TopDutch is energy. Located on Europe’s largest natural gas reserve, the TopDutch region is the main energy provider for the Netherlands and large parts of Western Europe. Today, the main focus of TopDutch is realizing the opportunity presented by the combination of green electricity and natural gas available. We are determined to be the Green Hydrogen Capital of Europe, making the transition from gray, via blue, to green hydrogen production, distribution and utilization. Here, we power a sustainable future.
1. Natural gas legacy & switch to green gases
2. Reliable power grid & offshore wind
3. Energy Transition Capital of Europe
4. Hydrogen Capital of Europe
5. Unique triple helix collaboration
6. Access to talent & skilled labor
1. Largest natural gas reserve, best gas infrastructure in Western Europe and first to switch gases.
Being born on the largest natural gas reserve has been a blessing for the TopDutch economy. Now is the time to make the next step and switch gases.
- A giant natural gas field was discovered in 1959 by the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) in the Northern Netherlands, which sparked the Dutch and subsequently the North-West European gas markets. Currently, the gas field is the 9th largest in the world of producing fields, and is 30 times larger than the number 10 on the list.
- Rapid construction of natural gas production facilities and infrastructure. Production started in 1963, after intense work on the construction of the required production facilities, building the national gas transportation network and adjusting tens-of-thousands of Dutch homes. We now have the best gas transportation network in Europe.
- Safety issues demanding radical decisions: quitting natural gas production. The extraction of natural gas induces earthquakes at a shallow depth, having a high impact on buildings and the safety of households in the region. Dutch minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Eric Wiebes decided to conclude natural gas production by 2030. Latest scenarios from the Dutch government predict gas production can already be ceased by 2022.
- Switching gas: From natural gas to green gas and green hydrogen. Our regional gas network operator, Gasunie, will add carbon-neutral green gas to the mix of its current natural gas pipelines and switch to transporting green hydrogen, a transition that will be scaled by first transmitting natural gas based blue hydrogen, to its network. The redundant gas transmission network enables switching gases pipeline by pipeline, enabling the transition to both green gas and green hydrogen.
2. Most reliable power grid and best location for large-scale offshore wind
The TopDutch region is considered the ‘wall socket’ of the Netherlands. To maintain function and contribute to a green future, we will power our country with green energy.
- The Netherlands, with the TopDutch region specifically being the starting point, has the most reliable energy grid in the world, with an uptime of 99.999%.
- The Netherlands and, being a key entry point, the TopDutch region in particular again has the most optimal glass fiber connectivity, with the lowest average latency in the EU.
- Home to Gemini 1, the largest offshore wind park in Europe - and expanding. Gemini Wind Park is built 85 km off the TopDutch coast, leading to a park that produces green energy for over 800,000 households. It won’t be long till Gemini 2, 3 (and counting) - will rise in our shallow North Sea to power our industry and the rest of Dutch households. Plans include additional parks of 700MW and 1GW in the near future. Our ambitions, knowledge and experience in wind park construction, maintenance and repair make us your ideal partner for expanding wind power in Europe.
- Ideal location for energy-intensive industry and data centers. Besides a rapidly expanding production capacity of green energy, the TopDutch region offers large green field sites available for industry and data centers, and an ideal climate for cooling.
3. National Sustainable Energy Transition and Energy Transition Capital of Europe
The Dutch Climate Agreement brings together more than 100 stakeholders to structurally tackle the energy transition.
- Overall target to have 49% less greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. International lobby by the Netherlands to further increase target to 55% by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050.
- Electricity target of 84 TWh of renewable energy on the grid by 2030, covering 80% of today’s electricity demand.
- Electrolysis target of 3 to 4 GW nationwide by 2030, enlarging the potential hydrogen supply.
- Strong support for off-grid power purchase agreements for local industry, if required.
- Mobility target to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2030(BEVs or FCEVs) and have 3,000 heavy-duty FCEVs on the road in the Netherlands by 2025.
Energy Transition Capital of Europe
- The TopDutch region will be the first region to proactively finish natural gas production, leaving 70 billion USD worth of natural gas left behind in our regional natural gas reserve.
- The TopDutch region will have the first fossil-free and carbon dioxide-negative chemical cluster. Chemport Eemsdelta is changing the nature of chemistry and dedicated to a 100% green chemistry chain.
- The TopDutch region will be the first region to have a fully functioning green hydrogen chain. As Hydrogen Capital of Europe and considering the extensive investment plans that are being executed by our regional community, we will lead the Green Hydrogen Economy.
- Home to Energy Academy Europe and New Energy Coalition. The TopDutch region has the best knowledge cluster dedicated to the Energy Transition in the world, in which research universities, universities of applied sciences and vocational education institution work together with industry and government.
4. Hydrogen Capital of Europe
The Northern Netherlands is committed to building the number one ecosystem for green hydrogen in Europe as part of our transition from natural gas to hydrogen.
- Home to Digital Innovation Hub. The Digital Innovation Hub is a non-profit service-oriented competence center which aims to accelerate the digital transformation of the industry in the TopDutch region. The hub is shaped by a community of TopDutch Smart Industry Fieldlabs, Innovation Cluster Drachten, regional employers organizations, the investment and development agency for the Northern Netherlands, knowledge institutes and regional authorities. Through offering smart industry assessments, supportive services, knowledge sharing and community building activities, the TopDutch region will lead the green and digital economy.
- TopDutch Hydrogen Alliance and Investment Agenda. Following the regional roadmap, our regional industry partners developed in collaboration with the government a shared Investment Agenda as the TopDutch Green Hydrogen Alliance. This investment agenda represents a total of 33 hydrogen projects and planned investments amounting to €2.8 billion. The agenda includes amongst others:2.5 GW of green hydrogen production capacity by 2030 - and 1 GW by 2023 - together with our 20 industry partners, including Eneco, ENGIE, Equinor, NAM, Gasunie, Nouryon, Vattenfall, Shell and others.
- A Northern hydrogen transmission pipeline network from Groningen Seaports to Rotterdam and Limburg by 2021, to be expanded to Germany’s Ruhr district by 2023.
- 100 hydrogen refueling stations across the Netherlands: 30 to be established by 2023, 8 of which are in the Northern Netherlands.
- Home to Hydrogen Valley. The Northern Netherlands has just been granted a subsidy of €20 million by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) by the European Commission, with a public-private co-financing of €70 million. This project, Hydrogen Valley, has a length of 6 years, during which it will support and accelerate the development of the first fully functioning green hydrogen value chain.
- Three hydrogen innovation start-up centers.
5. Unique triple helix collaboration
In the TopDutch region, we develop breakthrough knowledge, innovation, applications, processes and leadership with and within the New Energy Coalition.
- Home to New Energy Coalition. The TopDutch region has the best knowledge cluster dedicated to the Energy Transition in the world, in which research universities, universities of applied sciences and vocational education institution work together with industry and government.
- The New Energy Coalition supports many energy projects in and across the region, such as Estrac, Ensystra, North Sea Energy Program, Energy Venture Lab, IDEA, InVesta, Making City, LNG Pilots, CLINSH and TSO2020.
- Regional triple helix cooperative structures & shared industry and investment agendas. The TopDutch region showcases great collaborative power in its industry and investment agendas leading regional business, knowledge and government partners towards shared visions. These collaborations and agendas can be found in the TopDutch Hydrogen Alliance, Hydrogen Valley and in our Green Chemistry cluster Chemport Europe.
6. Access to talent & skilled labor
We have a highly skilled, well trained, and globally minded workforce that knows new energy, hydrogen and has expertise in the gas industry.
- The Northern Netherlands is a nucleus for higher education, with more than 75,000 students. The Netherlands has the second-best university education system in Europe and ranks number two on the 2018 Global Innovation Index, published by WIPO, INSEAD, and Cornell University.
- The Campus Groningen is home to the New Energy Coalition, the dedicated center of expertise for the energy transition that combines vocational training, applied sciences and advanced research.
- Dedicated vocational training on hydrogen technologies is offered in the Northern Netherlands to fuel the hydrogen industry.
- We have an abundant supply of more than 15,000 experienced workers from the domestic natural gas industry which will scale down over the next three to five years.
- The Netherlands has the world’s most proficient non-native English speakers among non-English-speaking countries. Regulators accept English documentation and disputes are settled in the English-speaking Netherlands Commercial Court.
Stories that show you what it means to be part of TopDutch
Get started
1. Get in touch
Through our TopDutch contact page, by email or direct to your dedicated industry project manager, get in touch to start the conversation.
2. Receive industry bidbook
Once you’ve confirmed you are interested in more information about investment in the region, we’ll be happy to send our industry specific bidbook to you.
3. Alignment meeting
We’ll schedule a meeting with your team and our regional dedicated project team to identify your needs and align objectives.
4. Receive company-specific bidbook
Now we understand your objectives, we’ll provide you with a bidbook tailored to your company’s needs.
5. Fact-finding trip
We’ll schedule a fact-finding trip in our region for your team to introduce you to relevant useful contacts in both the private and public sector and organize visits for site locations.
6. Investor roundtable
For investments requiring partnerships and co-investment, we’ll organize an investor roundtable with relevant key decision-makers.
7. Kick-start business development
Once you’ve confirmed you’ve reached a decision to invest in our region, we’ll kickstart your business development process so you’ll fully benefit from our fast procedures.
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