Mokveld has concluded a long-term framework agreement with Gasunie. Under this agreement, Gasunie plans to invest around 1.5 billion euros in the construction of a 1,200-kilometer hydrogen network in the Netherlands. After the final investment decision for the first section was made in summer 2023, a more than 30-kilometer-long connection between Tweede Maasvlakte and Pernis in Rotterdam is currently being built and is expected to be completed in the same year.
The electrically powered control valves manufactured by Mokveld are an integral part of the Dutch national hydrogen network, which is expected to connect major industrial areas in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium by 2030. “These control valves are crucial for the safe and efficient control of the hydrogen flow to the main consumers,” Mokveld announced in a press release. Technical quality, sustainability and price were decisive factors in the Europe-wide tender.
Around 85 percent of the network consists of converted natural gas pipelines, which, according to Gasunie, will reduce costs by 75 percent compared to a completely new construction. The port of Rotterdam will serve as a central gateway for hydrogen in north-western Europe. The aim is to connect the important industrial centers in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium and create links to import terminals, local hydrogen production and large storage facilities.
The aim is to establish a transnational hydrogen network stretching from the Netherlands to Germany and Denmark. Experts expect the expansion of the hydrogen network to be intensified from 2027/28 and to gain significant momentum in the early 2030s.