Greenport Noord-Holland Noord, Ontwikkelingsbedrijf Noord-Holland Noord and New Energy Coalition are realising a Fieldlab for the application of hydrogen in the agricultural sector with agricultural entrepreneurs and various other stakeholders. The Fieldlab Hydrogen in Agri must be the practical environment where companies, knowledge institutions and governments work together on hydrogen applications and infrastructure.
For the festive start of the Fieldlab Hydrogen in Agri on Thursday 6 July, the hospitality of Rainbow Colors in Andijk was used, one of the participants and field lab locations in the EFRO project. During an informative program we discussed the development and the goal of the project. Opportunities and challenges of hydrogen in the agricultural sector were discussed and agricultural entrepreneurs talked to each other about their plans with hydrogen. Under the watchful eye of Koen Delanghe (program manager for the member state the Netherlands from the European Commission), Ilse Zaal (deputy for economy and agriculture of the province of North Holland) and Ruud van Raak (director of Kansen voor West) jointly announced the official start moment. They wished program manager Wouter Veefkind much success with this project. A project that, due to the broad collaboration, approach and impact, has been designated as a project of strategic importance.
The Fieldlab Hydrogen in Agri NHN is a physical hotspot for hydrogen innovation. Companies and organisations that join can experiment with hydrogen applications in heavy machinery and conduct research into how these applications can be incorporated into the business operations of agricultural companies. In addition, they can conduct various studies into the manner and possibilities of using hydrogen within various applications in the agricultural sector and the impact of these applications on the environment, nature and society. Education is also being developed for technicians and other staff and plans can be developed on how these applications can be scaled up for use in the North Holland North region and beyond.
The Fieldlab Hydrogen in Agri NHN is an important instrument for making agribusiness future-proof. By applying hydrogen in the business situation, the sector can meet the agreements from the climate agreement faster and better.Â
The Fieldlab Hydrogen in Agri comprises four practical locations at the start (Loonbedrijf Sturm-Jacobs BV, Rainbow Colors BV, Vertify and Hogeschool Inholland). The locations each have their own goal and design, but also have a clear coherence. At the Loonbedrijf Sturm-Jacobs location in Wieringerwerf, the focus is on testing and demonstrating hydrogen in agricultural machinery. The hydrogen required for this is intended to come from our own generation or from the nearby hydrogen wind turbine of Hygro.Â
Esther Lunenborg, project developer Hygro: 'Many agricultural companies want to generate their own energy, and often have a lot of space for solar panels. They do not always have the possibility to supply the electricity back. Hydrogen offers opportunities here. In Agri Fieldlab we will start investigating the feasibility of hydrogen production, storage and delivery system for agricultural companies. Storage and matching supply and demand are crucial here. In order to have the right amount of hydrogen available at the right time, and to be able to get rid of surpluses. We will also investigate how agricultural companies can be connected to the distribution network that Hygro is setting up in the Netherlands.'Â
At Rainbow Colors, research is being done into the possibility of converting unused solar energy into green hydrogen and using the residual heat that is released for heating. At the Vertify location, a heat lab is being built with a hydrogen-powered heating system, where research is being done into the impact of hydrogen application on energy management and cultivation quality. Education also plays an important role in the project to ensure that sufficient people are trained to work with hydrogen. This is being provided by Hogeschool Inholland Alkmaar, where a Living Lab Electrolysis is also being opened for field lab activities in the agricultural sector.
The project is a public-private partnership in which cooperation is not for, but with entrepreneurs. The project is co-financed by Rabobank, New Energy Coalition, Kansen voor West and the European Union.
