Statkraft's first electrolyser in the Netherlands will be located on the East Bank, as part of the Zephyros green hydrogen project. The electrolyser will convert renewable electricity into green hydrogen, initially for local customers. The energy company aims for a production of approximately 15 to 20 thousand tonnes per year.
Zephyros is an ambitious project that focuses on the development of a Dutch green hydrogen economy in general and the use of green hydrogen in the maritime sector in particular. The focus on maritime also explains the name Zephyros, which stands for: 'Zero Emission in the Port of Den Helder, by using Hydrogen for transport over road and Wadden Sea'. The project aims to accelerate the energy transition in Den Helder. This by reducing emissions, innovation and knowledge development and making port operations more sustainable.
Kees Turnhout, General Manager of the Port of Den Helder: “Zephyros was set up to stimulate the green hydrogen economy in the municipality of Den Helder and in shipping. It is great to see that the project now enables greater development in the Hydrogen Valley of North Holland and the Netherlands. And fantastic that Statkraft recognizes the potential of Den Helder as an energy hub. I look forward to seeing this project come to fruition!”
Statkraft is the largest producer of renewable energy in Europe. The Norwegian energy company is active in hydropower, solar and wind energy, battery storage and green hydrogen. With this announcement, Statkraft kicks off its hydrogen activities in the Netherlands. Statkraft aims for a production capacity of 15 to 20 thousand tons of green hydrogen per year in Port of Den Helder.
However, the renewable energy producer is consciously opting for a scaling-up strategy. Zephyros is acting as a starting point. Statkraft is starting with a 1-2 MW electrolyser, good for 100 to 200 tons of green hydrogen per year. This will give local customers direct access to green hydrogen. Statkraft expects the realization of this electrolyser in 2026.
Rob Smit, Vice President Hydrogen of Statkraft Nederland (pictured left), speaks of a 'milestone' in Statkraft's hydrogen activities. "We are extremely proud to be involved in Zephyros and to be able to make an important contribution to the development of energy solutions that can help the Dutch energy transition move forward."
Zephyros not only contributes to the energy transition, but also to knowledge development and employment in the Den Helder region. Statkraft and Port of Den Helder also state that they will involve stakeholders in the project development and will take the environmental plan into close account.
Zephyros is one of the projects of the Wadden Sea Green Shipping Programme. This was realised with the support of the Wadden Fund, the Wadden Area Investment Framework and the provinces of Friesland, Groningen and North Holland and falls under the coordination of the FME Association. Zephyros is also supported by the Regional Deal Maritime cluster Kop van Noord-HollandNorthern governments and entrepreneurs are working together in the Green Shipping Wadden Sea Programme to accelerate the transition to sustainable shipping on the Wadden Sea.
