On behalf of the province, Ingrid Post, Program Director of the Energy Transition North Sea Canal Area, received the award this week during the European Hydrogen Week in Brussels.
The European status of Hydrogen Valley was awarded in May this year to North Holland North and the North Sea Canal area. This is a European award for regions that are committed in a distinctive way to developing an energy system based on sustainable hydrogen. In Europe, 60 regions have Hydrogen Valley status.
The European Hydrogen Valley of the Year award was presented for the sixth time this year and provides an additional incentive for project beneficiaries to bring research and innovation to the market. Hydrogen Hub Noord-Holland is a collaboration between a large number of partners including the province of Noord-Holland, the Programme Office North Sea Canal Area, Development Company Noord-Holland, New Energy Coalition, municipalities, grid operators and private parties.
North Holland is strongly committed to developing a hydrogen economy to reduce CO emissions2 to reduce. In addition, hydrogen contributes to a healthy living environment by reducing particulate matter and nitrogen emissions, and its use creates new employment in the province. It is expected that a significant part of the industry will switch to this energy source in the future. From energy-intensive factories to aviation, shipping and heavy road transport.
Within the Hydrogen Hub Noord-Holland, the port areas function as hydrogen hubs for the import, production, storage, transit and export of sustainably generated hydrogen. Due to its strategic location, the port of Den Helder can play a key role in the large-scale import of green hydrogen from the North Sea or neighbouring countries. Amsterdam is shifting its focus from fossil fuels to green hydrogen for industry and synthetic kerosene for aviation and shipping. The strategic location of the ports in the North Sea Canal area and Den Helder make the region crucial in the hydrogen transition for North Holland, the Netherlands and North-West Europe.
