Major milestone: green hydrogen plant prepares for start of construction

The construction phase of one of the first green hydrogen plants is in full preparation, which brings us one step closer to our goals of being carbon neutral by 2050. The energy company VoltH2 and the engineering and architecture consultancy Sweco will work intensively together for this purpose. The production plant will be built in Delfzijl, Netherlands. It is expected to produce around 5,000 tonnes of green hydrogen from the second half of 2027 and is currently being designed.

With the contours of its climate strategy now in place, the European Union must focus on effective implementation. According to the European climate service Copernicus, last May was the hottest May on record globally. There is no time to lose. 

Green hydrogen remains crucial for decarbonising energy-intensive sectors such as the chemical industry. It will become a key energy source where truly high temperatures are needed, such as in the production of steel and cement. 

The time is now

VoltH2 is making rapid progress with the development of three green hydrogen plants, two of which are near the Belgian border (Vlissingen and Terneuzen) and one in Delfzijl, along with three more in Germany (Wilhelmshaven, Essen, and Gelsenkirchen). Following previous approvals, the energy company was awarded a building and environmental permit, as well as a substantial subsidy for the Delfzijl plant over the past six months, thanks in part to Belgian expertise. 

A specialised hydrogen team with top experts from Sweco will also handle the basic engineering for the hydrogen plant in the coming months. This collaboration marks a milestone in developing one of the first hydrogen production plants to be operational in the Low Countries. 

André Jurres, CEO of VoltH2: “Sweco and VoltH2 have made a conscious decision to act now, with plans for several relatively small capacity plants to make green hydrogen available to our industry and ports in the short term. This contrasts with large plants of around 100 MW or more that will only be ready at a later stage. In Delfzijl, we are planning a 60 MW hydrogen plant in the second half of 2027, which corresponds to a production of around 5,000 tonnes per year.”

Erwin Malcorps, Business Area President of Sweco Belgium, adds: “At Sweco, we made a conscious decision to take on a pioneering role. As the leading architecture and engineering firm in Europe, we are committed to this. If we want to make progress in the energy transition, we must act quickly. By stepping into a project from the investment and permitting stage, we can also immediately deliver a detailed preliminary design. Since the permit was granted, we have continued with the basic engineering. We remain available to provide VoltH2 with technical advice during the construction of the plant.”

The partnership between VoltH2 and Sweco dates back to 2021. André Jurres explains how it came about: "At the time, we were looking for a local partner who is close to us, but who also has an international profile: Scandinavian by origin, but active in Benelux and Germany, which are, not coincidentally, the regions VoltH2 also has its sights on. 

Sweco's hydrogen team, with its in-depth knowledge of local legislation, is well placed for our permitting processes. Moreover, they have the necessary technical know-how, with several relevant hydrogen projects in their track record and top experts.”

Construction of the green hydrogen plant in Delfzijl represents a concrete step towards a more sustainable future. VoltH2 and Sweco are proving with a bold vision and practical action that the energy transition is not only necessary, but also feasible, and achievable today.

Addendum

Flexible Formula

The collaboration between Sweco and VoltH2 for Delfzijl falls under the EPCM category: Engineering, Procurement & Construction Management. This type of service contract is becoming increasingly popular in the energy sector. 

André Jurres explains: “The development and construction of a hydrogen plant takes time. This formula is therefore ideal, as it allows us to break the project into phases and make adjustments as necessary, in line with changing market conditions. This makes us more flexible, and at start-up, we will have a state-of-the-art hydrogen plant. Both Sweco and VoltH2 will expand their hydrogen expertise around this production facility, which will enable us to apply this knowledge to other projects in the coming years.”

Hydrogen Knowledge as an Export Product

To facilitate the green transition, it is necessary to move theory from the drawing board to practice: get permits, design, and build short- to medium-term plants, and scale them up to industrial level. Sweco therefore assembled a specialised hydrogen team of 12 experts in 2022. Gaëlla Delcour, Business Unit Manager Industry at Sweco: “Through our local presence, our knowledge of both Belgian and Dutch legislation, and technical know-how, we are building hydrogen expertise that we can deploy in Flanders and beyond in the coming years. This is not limited to production, but also extends to import, transport (through a hydrogen pipeline network in collaboration with Fluxys), storage, and machine adaptations.”

More images, logos and renderings of he future VoltH2 Delfzijl plant can be downloaded from Pickit

(End of press release)

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About VoltH2

VoltH2 is dedicated to the development and operation of green hydrogen plants in Europe. The company focuses exclusively on large-scale production of green hydrogen. This hydrogen is intended for local industry and the transport sector.

The first two production facilities are currently being developed in Vlissingen and Terneuzen. These plants have already been granted permits and are expected to be operational by 2026. The design of both plants takes scalability into account: in the initial phase, each plant will produce nearly 2 million kg (1,890 tonnes) of green hydrogen per year. Over time, production will grow with the green hydrogen market and be expanded.

VoltH2 has been developing a third green hydrogen plant in Delfzijl (within Groningen Seaports) since the spring of 2022. A permit has already been granted for this plant as well. Start-up is scheduled for the second half of 2027; VoltH2 foresees a production capacity of 60 MW.

In early 2023, VoltH2 started developing a German hydrogen plant in Wilhelmshaven, Germany’s number one energy port. A few months later, steps were taken for a second and third German location in the industrial Ruhr area, specifically in Essen-Frillendorf and Gelsenkirchen.

VoltH2 is a collaboration between Volt Energy (the company of founder André Jurres), Virya Energy and DIF Capital Partners.

www.volth2.com

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About Sweco Group

Sweco plans and designs the sustainable communities and cities of the future. Together with our clients and the collective knowledge of our 22,000 architects, engineers and other experts, we co-create solutions to address urbanisation, capture the power of digitalisation, and make our societies more sustainable. Sweco is Europe’s leading engineering and architecture consultancy, with sales of approximately SEK 29 billion (EUR 2.5 billion). The company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.

Sweco as a Knowledge Hub for Green Hydrogen

www.swecobelgium.be 

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