Dutch government consults on electrolyser manufacturer subsidy

LONDON(ICIS)–On 23 May the Dutch government launched a consultation on a potential subsidy for hydrogen supply chain manufacturers, such as electrolyser producers, outlining support from a €838m fund.

The Dutch government stated that the purpose for the potential subsidy was to support the usage of renewable hydrogen. Support from the government is therefore likely aimed at reducing the cost of a renewable hydrogen plant and improving technology efficiencies as a result of additional financial aid to supply chain participants, with a focus on reducing the overall cost of production for hydrogen.

The consultation aims to discover information from the manufacturing industry, investigate plans for electrolyser facilities and to ascertain what a manufacturer’s needs are from a support model to bring a project forward.

The funding for the subsidy is via the GreonkrachtNL fund, which allows for a total budget of €838m. The consultation will ultimately help determine how much of that fund will be used for the subsidy, as well as whether the funding is distributed over multiple application rounds. The Dutch government also noted that it is yet to be determined whether the funding would be issued on a first come, first served basis, or whether there could be a tender process.

The consultation for the subsidy will run until 19 June 2023.