It is not just heads of state… King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands visited Germany to talk about hydrogen.

The King accepted an invitation from the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst, to visit hydrogen-related activities in his state. King Willem-Alexander visited the site on 14 November with Hans Vijlbrief, Secretary of State for Extractive Industries. The visit was announced in the royal palace programme.

The Land wants to develop a carbon-neutral industrial region using hydrogen. This offers strategic opportunities for the Netherlands as an import hub and transit country for Germany.

During his visit, King Willem-Alexander visited the Marl chemical park. His main destination was Duisburg, where he visited the ZBT research centre, before boarding into a hydrogen-powered car and driving to the port. There, he officially commissioned the MS Antonie, a Dutch hybrid ship that runs partly on hydrogen.

As Gasunie reports, the King’s visit provided an opportunity to connect the ecosystems of Germany and the Netherlands. Some forty companies took part in an economic mission on the sidelines of the state visit. Agreements were signed between the Dutch company Gasunie and the German companies Open Grid Europe and Thyssengas. In addition, a consortium comprising bp, Uniper, E.ON/Essent, Onyx Power, Equinor and ENGIE signed a commitment to transport hydrogen between the Netherlands and Germany (for industrial customers). Another agreement has also been signed between ACE Terminal and EnBW so that hydrogen from the port of Rotterdam can be delivered to German customers.

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Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Logan King