The green hydrogen project H2 Hollandia, a collaboration between Novar and Avitec, has reached financial close. This means that all contracts have been signed and all financing agreements have been finalized. From offtaker and installer to construction partners and bank, the construction of the hydrogen installation can now begin. H2 Hollandia directly connects the large-scale Vloeivelden Hollandia solar park to an electrolyser. With this system, green hydrogen is produced without putting additional pressure on the electricity grid. Once operational in 2026, it will be the largest operational electrolyser in the Netherlands producing fully green hydrogen.
“This project is a game changer for sustainable energy in the Netherlands. By converting solar power directly into hydrogen, we solve two major challenges at once: we reduce grid congestion and enable clean mobility,” says Jelmer Pijlman, co-founder of Novar.
The green hydrogen will be purchased by an industrial gas distributor and used for green mobility and industry in the region. The hydrogen will be compressed and collected by the distributor using tube trailers, transporting it to end users. Novar and Avitec aim to bridge the gap between hydrogen supply and demand by making hydrogen available regionally and thus accelerating the development of a decentralized hydrogen economy.
“This project is a blueprint for how the Netherlands can manage local green energy production. By making regional hydrogen available, we can also start decarbonizing heavy transport,” says Ben Timmermans of Avitec.
At the heart of H2 Hollandia lies a 5 MW electrolyser connected to the 115 MWp Vloeivelden Hollandia solar park. The system will produce approximately 300,000 kilograms of green hydrogen per year from solar energy. Because the electrolyser shares the same grid connection as the solar park, the project helps prevent further overloading of the electricity grid, a creative and increasingly necessary solution to the growing problem of grid congestion in the Netherlands.
Currently, due to limited local grid capacity, the solar park cannot always feed its electricity into the grid on very sunny days (curtailment). With H2 Hollandia, this surplus energy can now be used to produce green hydrogen. This ensures that solar energy is utilized far more efficiently, contributing to a more stable and sustainable energy supply.
The success of H2 Hollandia is the result of strong collaboration between local governments and regional companies. The Municipality of Borger-Odoorn, the Province of Drenthe, and the Omgevingsdienst Groningen contributed to a smooth permitting process. Royal Avebe, the region’s largest employer, also plays a crucial role as owner of the private electricity grid connecting the solar park and the electrolyser.
The hydrogen installation is being built by project partners Plug Power, Resato Hydrogen Technology, Van Halteren Technologies, and Summit Renewable Projects. Erez Energy has been involved in the project management of the installation. Avitec is responsible for all civil works. Repowered will handle the system control and optimization and also acted as an advisor in the project’s development. Klaer will be responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the system. Together with developer Novar, these partners make it possible to build, operate, and maintain the system in the years ahead.
Innovative projects like H2 Hollandia require pioneering approaches not only in technology but also in financing. Comparable commercial projects are still rare, and the technology has a limited track record. Therefore, a forward-looking financing structure was essential. Together with Rabobank, the project partners succeeded in creating a viable business case. Tailor-made financing and a clear long-term vision were key to achieving financial close.
“This project demonstrates how smart investments in green energy not only contribute to a better environment, but also drive economic growth and innovation,” says Ronald Linthorst, Energy Transition Banker at Rabobank.
The project has also received public support through subsidies from GroenvermogenNL under the Demonstration Energy and Climate Innovation (DEI+) scheme, from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) under the Scaling Up Fully Renewable Hydrogen Production through Electrolysis (OWE) scheme, and through the development subsidy from the Province of Drenthe. Such public investment is currently indispensable for launching innovative green hydrogen projects and expanding the availability of green hydrogen in the Netherlands.
H2 Hollandia is operational in 2026. The project will not only contribute to the decarbonization of the Dutch energy system, but will also serve as a blueprint for future green hydrogen projects in the Netherlands and abroad.
“The final investment decision for H2 Hollandia was recently made, and now we’ve reached another concrete milestone: only a handful of hydrogen projects in the Netherlands have achieved financial close. Despite the many challenges in the market, H2 Hollandia has succeeded – this project is going to happen,” says Ruben Burggraaf, Project Director H2 Hollandia at Novar.
With H2 Hollandia, Drenthe becomes a frontrunner in the green hydrogen economy, and the Netherlands takes an important step toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.
For questions or comments you can reach out to our spokesperson:
Julian Uil – julian.uil@novar.nl
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