<b>Bijsluiter</b>. De hyperlink naar het originele document werkt niet meer. Daarom laat Woogle de tekst zien die in dat document stond. Deze tekst kan vreemde foutieve woorden of zinnen bevatten en de opmaak kan verdwenen of veranderd zijn. Dit komt door het zwartlakken van vertrouwelijke informatie of doordat de tekst niet digitaal beschikbaar was en dus ingescand en vervolgens via OCR weer ingelezen is. Voor het originele document, neem contact op met de Woo-contactpersoon van het bestuursorgaan.<br><br>====================================================================== Pagina 1 ======================================================================

<pre>13971585
         Project       NortH2:         Q&As
         Q&As    —
                   PROJECT IN GENERAL
         Ql. What is project NortH2 all about?
         Al. Hydrogen     will  play  an   indispensable       role in  achieving   our  national and   European climate goals. The
         use  of green   hydrogen     will result in     a  drastic reduction in carbon emissions in the Netherlands and              a
         more   sustainable Dutch       industry      sector.
         With this in   mind,   a consortium       currently consisting       of  Equinor, Gasunie, Groningen Seaports,         RWE and
         Shell  Nederland, with the support of the              Province of    Groningen,    is proposing  a  project  that will enable
         the  large-scale production of green hydrogen.
         Specifically, this  concerns     the   realisation,     in  phases,  of offshore wind farms to generate green          electricity,
         production    of hydrogen offshore, building             a  hydrogen plant    in Eemshaven, and later possibly also
         offshore,  to convert green        electricity    into  hydrogen, arranging      a  storage facility for hydrogen for when
         the wind is not    blowing, and converting the              Gasunie   pipeline network for the transport of hydrogen           to
         industrial clusters in the Netherlands and Northwest Europe.
         Q2. How big will the hydrogen plant be? And is this really the largest hydrogen project in Europe?
         A2. The exact size and scope have not yet been                  determined,    so a  lot of research and    analysis still needs
         to be done. The     objective     is to generate 4 GW of wind energy for              hydrogen production by 2030, and         to
         have 10+ GW of       electrolysis capacity        in place by    2040.  By  way of   comparison, with     1 million tonnes of
         hydrogen,    more   than half of the current          hydrogen consumption          in the Netherlands     can be
         decarbonised.
         Ultimately, the objective is, of        course, to make        a significant impact    in meeting the targets     set in the
         Dutch and German Climate ambitions for the reduction of carbon emissions, with the final                           goal being   to
         reach the ambitions of the          European      Green Deal and the       objectives   of the Paris  Agreement.
         For your   information:
         e
              By using   10 GW of offshore wind             capacity for electrolysis,    more   than 1 million metric tonnes of
              green  hydrogen      can  be    produced.
         oe   10 GW   equates     to enough electricity         to meet the energy needs of         approximately     12.5 million Dutch
              domestic households.
         e    1 million metric tonnes of green             hydrogen     can  abate 8 to 10 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
         Q3. What concrete        (that’s to    say    required) steps     is the consortium     going to take?
         A3. An   entirely  new,   integrated     value chain must be set up to enable the switch to green                hydrogen.
         Currently,  the  hydrogen      is  mainly produced          from natural gas. In the    future,  we  will produce hydrogen
         from green    electricity,  and it will be      widely     used to  replace  fossil fuels  directly at the location of the
         consumers.    With NortH2 this         specifically    concerns:
              e
                   constructing,    in  phases,     a  mega offshore wind farm to generate green             electricity on  top of
                   current   plans for offshore wind, dedicated for              green  hydrogen production;
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              e
                    building  a hydrogen plant        in Eemshaven to convert green            electricity    into hydrogen (and likely
                    also offshore in later     phases);
              e
                    building  a storage facility for green hydrogen for when the wind is                   not   blowing and for periods
                    of extra demand;
              e
                    converting the     Gasunie    pipeline network        to  transport the hydrogen         to industrial clusters in the
                    Netherlands and Northwest            Europe;
              eo    customers will need to set up their           plants   and processes to facilitate the         use   of green    hydrogen;
              e     in addition,  a  range of    policies, standards, procedures           and  regulations     must be     arranged    so that
                    this new   value chain     can  be built and the      use  of green    hydrogen stimulated;
              e     we  will set up the entire value chain in          one   go in the first   phase and then expand this           in the
                    following phases.
         Q4. So, what is the first phase?
         A4. The first    steps involve making        an  inventory of what       is needed to      complete    the first   phase   of this
         project, which will     mean     the installation of    approximately 4 gigawatt of wind capacity by                 2030. In
         concrete     terms,  we are   talking   about    an  offshore wind farm,        an  electrolysis facility,    a  network that
         connects several industrial clusters and            storage, and agreements with future               customers for green
         hydrogen.     To create   a  widely supported consortium,             we are   currently looking for additional partners
         and companies; this is       an   essential task.
         Step    1 also includes  carrying     out  a feasibility study, which has        now    been    completed. After that,       an
         investment decision will be          made, based      on  commercial considerations and             dependent on supporting
         policies.
         Q5. What role does the Dutch national government play in this?
         A5. The role of the government is to create the                regulatory and flanking policy framework within which                 it
         is possible   to establish this entire value chain.          Consider, for    example,      aspects like   designating     sites for
         new    wind farms that     are   dedicated for green        hydrogen production         in the northern      part of the North
         Sea, setting regulations       for the storage, transmission and distribution of                hydrogen, stimulating the
         demand for low-carbon           hydrogen,     and  investing    in  parts of the chain.
         Q6. What is the level of investment in this project? How much                       are  the partners in the consortium
         contributing?
         Ab. The level of investment in this          project   is still unclear at the moment. It is         evident, however, that
         installing   offshore wind and       electrolysis capacity      on a   gigawatt    scale and the necessary transmission
         infrastructure will    require     an investment in the billions of         euros.   As  a  result, we   cannot say     right  now
         how much will be invested           by which party.
         Q7. Will the current partners continue to back their commitment, financial                            or otherwise,     if no other
         companies join      and make       a contribution,     financial    or  otherwise?
         A7. The consortium        partners     are  determined to       develop    and set up     a  green   hydrogen     chain.   Ultimately,
         the investments in this       project   will have to pay off       economically,     which    can   happen    if we  all work
         together. Together, we        can    make this mega ambition           a reality.  Of course we      cannot do this alone:       we
         need     supportive  governments and customers with the ambition to switch to green                           hydrogen.
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         Q8. When will the project be completed?
         A8. In the first and second     phase    of the   project, we   want to    have, respectively,   4 GW   (2030)  and 10+
         GW of wind     capacity linked   to green     hydrogen production by the        second half of this decade.
         Q9. Why green hydrogen rather than ‘blue’ decarbonated hydrogen’?
         A9.  Eventually, virtually  all hydrogen      will be green. However, at the moment,          hardly  any green    hydrogen
         is being produced anywhere         in the world. It will take     a  long time to install the  required  green   hydrogen
         production facilities, which is why       it is necessary to start     now.  This works   perfectly well  in combination
         with ‘blue’, that’s to say decarbonated,          hydrogen.
         Q10. Who profits from this project and what              are  the benefits for the Netherlands? And for
         Groningen?
         A10. NortH2 offers     a  number of benefits for the Netherlands and Germany.                Firstly, this will reduce
         carbon emissions in these countries, an important step towards achieving a carbon-neutral
         economy. In addition, it gives the Dutch and German industry sector the opportunity to
         decarbonise their    production. Being the home base of large green hydrogen projects like NortH2 not
         only  sets the  stage for the Netherlands and Germany becoming the leaders in Europe in the field of
         green hydrogen, this also positions these countries to become an international hydrogen hub. This
         provides countries and companies with new economic opportunities and contributes to the long-term
         earning capacity. And it is particularly by converting large quantities of electricity from offshore wind
         energy into green    hydrogen     in  Groningen that     we can     balance  our  energy system and     save on   major
         investments for the transmission of          electricity from the northern      region of the Netherlands     to other
         parts of the country.
         For  Groningen, the   construction of       a hydrogen plant and the storage and transmission of hydrogen will
         generate employment.       The northern        region of the Netherlands will benefit, too, through the higher
         profiling of its leading position on the global stage as the European Hydrogen Valley. Groningen has a
         unique concentration of know-how and companies active in the field of hydrogen, with institutions like
         the University of Groningen, the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, and EnTranCe, as well as Gasunie
         and NAM and a large cluster of chemical companies with their own demand for hydrogen.
         Q11. How many jobs will be created with this project and                  over what   period?
         All. We estimate that tens of thousands of            jobs  will be created    over  time, though   we  do not yet know
         precisely  how many    jobs  and in which       phase  of the  project   these will be created.   University of
         Groningen recently calculated that         in the first  phase   of the NortH2     project roughly between 5,000 and
         12,000 man-years of      employment       will be   generated   in   Groningen   in the installation phase of the project.
         For the Northern    Netherlands, the corresponding lower and               upper bounds    are  roughly 9,000 and
         16,000, while these    are  14,000 and 50,000 for the national economy. On               a more   permanent basis,
         maintenance and asset      ownership       activities will create about 1,000      jobs in Groningen, and about 1,300
         and 1,900 in the North and the entire Netherlands,             respectively.
         For your information: CE Delft has carried out           a study    into green  hydrogen and employment (published
         in Dutch   only):
         https://www.ce.nl/publicaties/2202 /werk-door-groene-waterstof
         Q12. Where will the hydrogen plant be located? And the wind farms?
         Al2. The exact locations     are   not  yet known, but Eemshaven has           room   for such  a plant. The northern
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<pre>13971585
         part of the North Sea has          enormous      potential    for large-scale    offshore wind energy. It is up to the Dutch
         government to quickly designate              new areas     for this purpose.
         Q13. What role do the other northern Dutch provinces play in this project?                         (Why are they/are they
         not  involved?)
         A13. The two other northern Dutch               provinces     are  not involved in the     project as of yet. They   have been
         informed about this          project  and   are  very welcome to become           a supporting partner.
         Q14. Where will the hydrogen be going? Who                      are the  buyers/consumers?
         A1l4. Initially,  the   hydrogen     will  mainly   be used in    industry:    that is where the   highest  demand for
         hydrogen     is coming      from   right  now, often     as a  feedstock. Demand        comes  from industries like refineries
         and fertilizer    plants, and the steel industry can also do             a lot with   hydrogen; hydrogen could be used         in
         industry   for  heating      as well. Demand may also arise from the transport and               mobility sector; hydrogen
         offers interesting opportunities,           especially for heavy road transport.         We envision    hydrogen being used
         in these sectors      mainly    to  replace   the  use  of fossil fuels and     partly also to replace the   current   use  of
         hydrogen that       is still  produced by processing natural           gas.
         Q15. Why       was   Northwest Europe chosen for this               project?
         A15. This   was a     logical choice given      its strategic location and possibilities. The North         Sea above the
         northern coast of the Netherlands offers               a  lot of wind   potential.   The  hydrogen   can  be stored in the
         empty salt    caverns      and there is    a gas transport network that          can  be converted with    relatively  little
         investment to      transport hydrogen         to  areas   throughout      Northern and Western       Europe.
         And it is  particularly by converting large quantities of electricity from offshore wind                   energy into green
         hydrogen     in  Groningen and transporting this             to the  larger consumption markets that we can           save on
         additional major investments for the transport of                  electricity from the northern region of the
         Netherlands to the Randstad conurbation.
         In addition, Groningen has the necessary space, the province is a hub for electricity and natural gas
         networks, and there are numerous knowledge institutes and companies that understand gas and
         hydrogen. And, last but not least, Groningen has an enthusiastic provincial government that                          sees   the
         opportunities for green earning capacity in the North.
         There  are   already     numerous      initiatives in the Province of       Groningen for the generation and        use   of green
         hydrogen     on a   smaller and medium scale           (up   to  20MW),     in part as a result of the  previously published
         Investment      Agenda for Hydrogen in the Northern Netherlands. Examples include:
                         o     HyStock (1IMW Z Hydrogen pilot installation)
                         Oo    DJEWELS (20MW demo conversion installation)
                         QO    H2 test centre close to EnTranCe (Hydrohub)
                         0
                               Hydrogen powered vehicles: Qbuzz, Holthausen, City of Groningen,                     and others
                         0
                               HyNetherlands (100MW demo conversion plant)
                         20    HEAVENN.
         Q1l6. What will happen to the natural gas pipelines in Groningen?
         A116. The gas     pipelines in Groningen are suitable for conversion to the transmission of hydrogen. The
         current network will largely continue to be used for years to come to transport natural gas. Some of the
         grid can be freed up, partly because of export contracts from the Netherlands gradually coming to an
         end. In many locations, over the years a parallel system of gas pipelines has been built along the main
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<pre>13971585
         artery of the Dutch gas transmission network: within the                   next few years,     pipelines   can  already   be freed
         up for transmission of          hydrogen    over  long distances.
         Q17. Why      are   you    announcing these plans        now    already?
         A1l7.  Building    a  large-scale    green   hydrogen    value chain is    a  huge task,   which will   require   a lot of time and
         effort from     companies, but also from government bodies,                  to  complete.   It’s good   to let people   know that
         significant steps      are   being taken, why     these   are  being taken,      and that the   completion     of such  projects
         will take   some     time.
         In the Dutch Climate Accord it            was  announced that       we  want to have 3 to 4 GW of green           hydrogen
         production capacity by           2030. This ambition      requires   investments in the billions of euros,         scaling  up the
         technology,      and   developing the required         market. To be able to       actually  achieve   this,  we  need to get
         going   now   already,     with the launch and       phasing    of a project    as previously   described    (4 GW   by 2030;   at
         least  an  additional 6GW         by 2040).
         Q18. Will the consortium be applying for funding from the government, and if so, why?
         A18. Government          support is essential     to realise this    project. This   concerns, for    example, designating
         new    locations for offshore wind farms           (focused exclusively       on  the production     of green   hydrogen),
         having the     right regulatory framework in place, stimulating greening of industry and other areas, and
         providing financial and other support for the              various parts of the      new   value chain.
         It is our belief that green         hydrogen will ultimately be profitable. However, at the moment, hardly any
         green hydrogen is being produced anywhere in the world. This means that the costs in the first phase
         will be higher than in the later phases. The idea behind our project is that by working on such a large
         scale, the suppliers can make the investments necessary to reduce costs to the point that green
         hydrogen will become profitable. Accordingly, government funding                        will be needed     during   the
         ‘bolstering’ phase.
         Q19. How does this project link to the Dutch Climate Accord, the Paris Agreement and the European
         Green Deal?
         A19. This    project    is  an  important step    in  achieving the objectives of the Dutch Climate Accord. The plan
         is that  we  have installed        electrolyser capacity    of AGW     by 2030. To meet the climate          agreement targets,
         the   use of green     hydrogen      is essential, especially    in sectors that    are  difficult to make    more   sustainable,
         such   as industry and heavy          road transport.
         The European Green Deal also              sees  hydrogen playing      an  important role     in  making the European
         economy      more     sustainable. With the green deal, the European Commission                    already wants to     cut carbon
         emissions     by 55%, going        even  further than the target set in the Dutch Climate Accord               (-49%). Meeting
         this target will require both offshore wind energy and                 hydrogen. The Dutch Climate Accord and the
         European     Green Deal        are  both needed to achieve the climate            goals of the  Paris  Agreement.
         Q20. Will    more     partners be joining this project, and if so, who?
         A20. We     are   very   proud of today’s      two  strong partners joining. A project of this magnitude              can  best be
         realised with     a  large   group of partners. To this       end,  we  have conversations with         multiple parties    across
         the entire value chain: wind,           electrolysis,  storage and transport, and         buyers/consumers.       When    new
         partners join     we   will, of   course,  announce     this.
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         Q21 Have discussions already been held with parties who have already decided not to participate?
         And   why    is this?
         A21. We have       exchanged     views with various       parties and   are  in discussion with different      parties in the
         value chain, but will not make any interim announcements about this.
         Q22. How does this project relate to the Investment Agenda for Hydrogen in the Northern
         Netherlands?
         A22. The Investment         Agenda    for  Hydrogen     in the Northern Netherlands        was   published    more  than   a year
         ago. This    publication already announced           the  aspiration of bringing about       a green   hydrogen    economy
         starting   in the northern     region   of the Netherlands. This       project  fits in perfectly   with this and contributes
         to the actual realisation of this       aspiration,    in collaboration with the partners in the investment           agenda.
         Q23. Why is TenneT not participating?
         A23. At the     core  of the  project   is the   generation of    a large quantity    of offshore wind energy      on  top of
         the current     plans, the realisation of      electrolysis  capacity, and the transport and storage of green
         hydrogen. This does        not  directly affect TenneT. However, this does            not detract from the fact that
         TenneT does       play a role in the transmission of offshore          electricity, meaning that      continuation of the
         good   coordination with TenneT will also be             required.
         Q24. Can this project get off the ground             even   without government         funding and/or support?
         A24,   Strong government policy          is needed to enable further        growth   of  large-scale sustainability
         projects.   In the first step towards       large-scale hydrogen production and use, we have to go through                  an
         innovation and      upscaling phase.      The costs of this will be     higher  than those of     subsequent phases.      After
         all, the premium paid for the learning            curve  in the initial steps will be put to good      use  during  the  major
         rollout. That    premium, however, requires government support. Furthermore, anticipatory                         investments
         in transport and storage will need to be            made,   to enable the further      development      of the market and to
         be able to    eventually operate       on an   efficient scale.
         Q25 What is the link between NortH2 and projects like HEAVENN and NSWPH?
         A25, Last year the Heavenn           Project received funding from the European             Commission to make the
         northern Netherlands the first          hydrogen region      in  Europe.   This project   should enable the start of the
         first real  hydrogen value chain and will establish the first connections between all the required stages                      in
         the chain. The North2 project          concerns    the initial  upscaling to eventually      meet the northern and
         national ambitions, with        an  eye towards the major rollout between 2030 and 2040.
         Gasunie, together with TenneT and Energienet, is                a  partner in the North Sea Wind Power Hub (NSWPH)
         consortium, which is investigating how             large quantities of offshore wind        can  be  efficiently brought
         ashore in the future. Possibilities include          efficiently clustering wind farms and producing hydrogen
         offshore and then       bringing   it ashore. NSWPH        can thus   play an important role      in the future in  making
         North2’s ambitions       a  reality.
         Q 26. Recently, the Aqua Ventus project               was  also launched. To what extent does this compete with
         NortH2?
         A26. Several partners of NortH2            are  also involved in Aqua Ventus. NortH2           warmly welcomes all
         hydrogen projects       and will be    happy    to discuss with them where        projects can strengthen each other.
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         Q27 When will the study phase be completed? And could the findings result in the consortium
         partners deciding       not to go ahead at all?
         A27. We    completed        the feasibility study phase     lat the end of   2020, in accordance with      our own
         timeline.  Partly    based    on the positive   findings   of phase   1, Equinor and RWE have       joined, and the second
         phase has    now    started, which will be completed by the end of            2021. A range of matters still need to fall
         into place   before then:
         -
           Areas need to be       designated for the required offshore wind farms.
         -
           Regulations regarding the transport and storage of hydrogen                 must be in force.
         -
           The necessary permits and licences need to be issued.
         -
           There must be sufficient demand for green             hydrogen.
         The first partners who initiated the consortium and the two others who have since                     joined are convinced
         that this is all  possible.
         Q28. What have you concluded in the feasibility study?
         A28.  Although     we    have concluded the first     phase of the feasibility study that addresses the project        up
         until 2030, the consortium is         currently looking    at the  period  post-2030. The results from the first     phase
         of the  feasibility study have been very positive, indicating a significant           cost reduction for green     hydrogen
         due to NortH2’s       integrated approach      as opposed     to a  segmented approach.
         Q29. What form of hydrogen storage is being considered?
         A29. For this purpose, storage in salt         caverns   is being considered, the    same as   is currently being used for
         the storage of natural gas in        Zuidwending,    in the Province of    Groningen.
         Q30. Are investments also being made in fuel cells,               or only in electrolysers?
         A30. This   project    is about   making hydrogen      from   electricity; we use  electrolysers for this. Fuel cells do
         the opposite:     they generate electricity from hydrogen and            are  not part of this project.
         Q31. Will this be yet another project of the polluting fossil fuel industry that drains the entire funding
         pot and does      not reduce emissions       by  one  iota? Yet another      project that will ultimately be paid for by
         the taxpayer?
         A31. In  one   word,     no. This  project builds  new    sustainable value chains, and that is necessary to
         decarbonise the economy and to achieve the climate                 goals.
         Q32. What is 1 million tonnes in terms of gigawatts? Will that 10 gigawatts be coming from the
         offshore wind farm?
         A32. When all the        electricity generated by    a  wind farm is used to     produce hydrogen,      a 10GW wind farm
         can  be  expected     to  produce    1 million metric tonnes of      hydrogen.
         Q33. How much CO2 is abated by using 1 million tonnes of green hydrogen?
         A33. 1 million metric tonnes of green           hydrogen    can  abate 8 to 10 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. It
         depends    on  what you compare this to. It        can   abate 8 million tonnes of CO2 if you       replace  natural gas
         that is currently being burned,         or 10 million tonnes of CO2 if you      replace  grey  hydrogen.
         Q34. According to calculations recently made by the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment
         Agency, due      to inefficiencies,    green  hydrogen will     not reduce carbon emissions at this time. What is
         your  response?
         A34. On 17    February,      PBL  published   an update of    its calculations and   qualified  its findings. Aside from
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         this,  in this  project    we   produce green hydrogen using            renewable        electricity generated specifically for
         this purpose,      meaning there       are no   carbon emissions associated with the                 production     of the  electricity
         being    used. That is what makes this           project unique, and        necessary. If this green          hydrogen replaces grey
         hydrogen      in industry,     for example,    or  is  soon  being   used in     a   hydrogen-powered truck, there            are
         unquestionably major carbon savings.
         Q35. There is       a  lot of research that shows that the costs for green                  hydrogen       in this decade    are  still too
         high.   How do you think you           can  make this investment           profitable?
         A35.    Indeed, with      its current,  extremely limited availability, hydrogen                is certainly too expensive.       To
         reduce the costs of green           hydrogen,     what is needed is      a  major      increase in the scale of      electrolysis
         technology coupled with large-scale production of renewable electricity. That is exactly what this project
         aims to achieve        by bringing the     entire value chain      together      in   one  project.   As  we   keep saying,    it needs to
         be  larger,   greener and       integrated.
         Q36. A couple of mega wind farms... how big                    are we   talking exactly?
         A36    By  2030 the consortium         envisages     to have 4 GW installed            capacity for   green    hydrogen production.
         Depending       on  the still   developing wind turbine technology, this could                  mean a      couple of hundred wind
         turbines far offshore.
         Q37. Will | be able to         see  the wind turbines from         a  Frisian island like       Schiermonnikoog?
         A37. No. The wind farms will be located                on  the North Sea, far out of          sight,  as  is the case  with the current
         wind farm.
         Q38. The Wadden Sea is             a UNESCO World          Heritage Site.     How does this         project deal with this?
         A38. The wind farms will be located in              areas   designated      for wind      development by the         Dutch national
         government,        as  set out in the   recently concluded        North Sea       Agreement.
         Q39. What       are   the criteria for this    project going ahead?
         A39. We will be         continuing   as partners in any       case.  One    question is, what role will the Dutch
         government take on, and how              soon    will that   happen?
         Q40. What role could Germany possibly play in these plans?
         A40.    Germany has        set its own   hydrogen ambitions and targets                to decarbonise. We        assume    that German
         industrial customers will sign up to            buy green hydrogen.          It is also   possible that      German offshore wind
         farms will    supply     their green   electricity    to the  hydrogen plant.
         Q&As     —
                     About HYDROGEN: Also            see:   https://www.theworldofhydrogen.com
         Ql. What is hydrogen?
         Al.   Hydrogen      is  an  extremely light, harmless        gas, fourteen times          lighter than air, that     can be converted
         into  electricity. The      gas  can  be used for     heating   our  homes,       it  already serves     as a  feedstock in the
         chemical     industry and       powers all   types of transport, and it has            a promising future       as a clean fuel. A
         major advantage          of  hydrogen   gas is that it    can  be stored for later        use.
         Since    hydrogen only        occurs  naturally   on    Earth in bonded form, it first needs to be ‘released’ from its
         compound        to  produce     pure  hydrogen      gas. A  common      method for         doing this    is electrolysis, a  process
         that   uses an   electric current to      split  water    (H20)  into oxygen        (O)  and  hydrogen       gas (Hz). There    are
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         various forms of       hydrogen.       One is     ‘green hydrogen’ (produced             via  electrolysis using       sustainable
         electricity from wind,        sun or     water)     and another is      ‘grey hydrogen’ (from           fossil  fuel), the production         of
         which releases CO,. And           lastly there       is ‘blue   hydrogen’, where        the CO, released when            producing      grey
         hydrogen      is captured     and stored        (in depleted      gas fields  deep     beneath the seabed for           example), making
         this  hydrogen carbon neutral.              In all cases, the     hydrogen produced           is always clean fuel when combusted.
         Q2. What      are  hydrogen’s properties?
         A2. As   a  gas  (Hz), hydrogen        is  colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-radioactive,                   non-toxic and has        a  high
         calorific value.     Hydrogen      is  an   extremely light gas, fourteen            times   lighter than      air.
         Q3. How do you make hydrogen?
         A3. Since    hydrogen only        occurs      naturally    on   Earth in bonded form, it first needs to be ‘released’ from its
         compound        to produce      pure    hydrogen       gas. The primary method for              doing this    is  electrolysis,   a  process
         that  uses an    electric current to         split  water    (H20)   into oxygen      (0)  and    hydrogen      gas  (Hz). Hydrogen        can
         also be   produced      using thermochemical processes, like the                     reforming     of fossil fuels, for     example,     where
         hydrocarbons        are  split  into carbon        (C)  and   hydrogen. And lastly, hydrogen              can   be obtained     through the
         biochemical conversion of biomass,                  including algae biomass for example.
         Q4. How does hydrogen become energy?
         A4.  Hydrogen      is not   a  fuel  as   such but rather        an  ‘energy carrier’. Driving        an   electric engine     (in  a  car, for
         example) using hydrogen requires                  a fuel cell that    can   convert the      hydrogen       into  electricity.  In the fuel
         cell, hydrogen      is mixed with oxygen and              separates into hydrogen ions (protons) and electrons. The
         product     of the reaction is      electricity,     which is used to drive the          engine     or  other electric component, and
         the  only   exhaust is heat and water vapour. Another                     possibility   is the   hydrogen       internal combustion
         engine,    a modified version of the traditional combustion                     engine.
         Q5. What is hydrogen used for?
         A5.  Currently, hydrogen          is widely      used    as a  feedstock in the chemical           industry    —
                                                                                                                           in the   production      of
         ammonia and certain           plastics,     for  example      —and in refineries.       Hydrogen       is also   already being used,         or
         has the    potential for     use,   as a   fuel in all forms of transport:           by road, water,       air and rail. In   general,     it is
         ideally  suited for electrical        applications       for which batteries would be insufficient. In                industry    it is an
         interesting option for         processes       requiring high temperatures. And,               in the   future, homes        may be able to
         use  it for  heat,   via district    heating grids.
         Q6. Is hydrogen        a  clean fuel?
         A6. When it      comes    to   using    it in  a fuel cell to make      electricity, hydrogen         is  completely clean       in all  cases.
         Its only  emissions      are   heat and clean water vapour. In terms of how clean the                          production     of  hydrogen is,
         that  depends      on  the   source     of the    hydrogen, which        is why     we  make     a distinction between         ‘green
         hydrogen’ (produced           via  electrolysis using        sustainable     electricity   from wind,        sun or   water)   and    ‘grey
         hydrogen’ (from        fossil  fuel),   the   production       of which releases CO,. And then there is ‘blue                  hydrogen’,
         where the CO, released when                 producing      grey   hydrogen     is  captured     and stored      (in depleted     gas fields
         deep    beneath the seabed for            example), making          this  hydrogen      carbon neutral.
         Q7. How do you store hydrogen, and how do you transport it?
         A7. The    great thing about hydrogen is that you                   can  store it in   large quantities       and for    a  longer period       of
         time. This is still very difficult with wind and solar power.                     Hydrogen      is already being       stored   as
         compressed       gas in tanks and         cylinders and, after being cooled             to  an   extremely low temperature,              as a
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<pre>13971585
         liquid  in specially    insulated    cryogenic tanks.          It is also  being   stored in   compressed      form    underground,       in
         salt caverns    for   example.
         The  same as     with storage,      hydrogen      is  being transported         in either   compressed       or liquid form,     in tanks   or
         cylinders. Pipelines       are  already being      used for the transmission of             hydrogen     for  use  in  industry.   This
         means    that  hydrogen       could   possibly    also be distributed to homes and businesses                   using the existing      gas
         grid. A number of        pilots  in this  area are     already underway.
         Q8. What does hydrogen cost?
         A8.  Many factors determine the             costs    and, by extension, the price of hydrogen. Consider, for example,
         the costs of    production,      the   price  of electricity (be        it green, grey    or blue)   and natural gas, investments in
         plants and installations, and storage and distribution. Climate policy also plays                           a  role.  Ultimately,
         hydrogen     will have to compete with other energy                    sources    and energy carriers. This will require           large-
         scale  production, which         is expected     to take at least until 2030.          According     to the PBL Netherlands
         Environmental Assessment Agency, the current cost of grey                           hydrogen     is about €1.50 per       kg. Again
         according    to   PBL,  a  kilogramme of green hydrogen                  costs around 5 to 6      euros   to  produce. By significantly
         upscaling the      use  of  electrolysers and offshore wind                energy, these costs      can  be cut   by   50 to 60%.
         A driver of   a  passenger      car  currently    pays about ten          euros   for a  kilogramme of hydrogen           at the pump.
         The price per kilometre for          a  passenger      car    is therefore around ten cents,          virtually the    same as    the
         average fuel costs for        a car  that  runs on      petrol     or diesel. It is  expected    that the price at the pump will fall
         significantly   as  production      scales up.
         Q9. Is hydrogen dangerous?
         A9.  Hydrogen      is flammable, but only when mixed with oxygen                       in  specific  concentrations and         only when
         a flame is present. Moreover,            hydrogen       is  a  volatile gas,   rising  at twenty    metres per second.         Take, for
         example,    a car   with   a hydrogen      tank: if the tank is        punctured,     the   hydrogen     released will be      high  in the
         air before it mixes with oxygen and could                  possibly ignite.     If the  hydrogen     in the   punctured     tank   were   to
         be  exposed    to   a flame, due to its      high    pressure, it would ‘blow out’ the            flame,   so  to  speak.   This aside, for
         the processing, storage and transport of                 hydrogen,       as with   petrol, diesel and natural gas, all         sorts of
         regulations    are   in place   to  guarantee safety.
         Q10: Isn’t it inefficient to convert expensive green electricity into hydrogen? Doesn’t                                 a lot of the
         energy    get lost?
         A10:   Energy    is lost  during the     conversion of         electricity to hydrogen; that        is simply inherent       in converting
         energy. For    example, when producing electricity using natural                       gas, 40% of the energy is lost. When
         converting electricity       to  hydrogen, about 30% of the                energy is lost. This is    why we     must first    use
         hydrogen for those         sectors where carbon emissions                 can  only be avoided through the            use  of  hydrogen.
         But, for that,    we   need to start the       preparations today.           One such sector is the chemical            industry;   in this
         industry,   the   hydrogen      molecule is needed for the chemical processes, not for the energy.                          Electrolysis     is
         the  only way     to  produce     this molecule in        a  green way in      large quantities. Hydrogen          is also needed to
         store energy when the          sun   is not  shining     or   the wind is not      blowing.    TenneT and Gasunie have carried
         out extensive studies        showing that in the           most     optimal   energy system for the Netherlands in 2050,                one
         third of all energy used will be in the form of                  hydrogen.
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