The project’s onshore hydrogen plant will now be at least 500MW, down from 1GW, and its offshore solar commitment reduced to 6MW

The IJmuiden Ver Beta offshore wind farm, which will supply power to the project, will also now be built in two phases: 1GW coming online in 2029 and the remaining 1GW in 2032, after the delayed Delta Rhine Corridor (DRC) hydrogen pipeline is completed.

Zeevonk, the joint venture developing the project, said the original plans are no longer financially or economically viable under the current permit because of the DRC delay, which was originally slated for commissioning in 2028.

The pipeline is now expected in 2033, following a mix of overambition, slow approvals, stakeholder complexity, and technical challenges.

It was intended to transport green hydrogen from Maasvlakte in the Port of Rotterdam to customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. Without it, the project can’t deliver hydrogen to market economically.

The phased build means the wind farm will still contribute to the Netherlands’ 2030 climate targets, although the delay will reportedly increase costs for grid operator TenneT.

If approved by the Dutch regulator ACM, the additional costs could be passed on through network tariffs to consumers.

Financial terms for the site permit have also been eased. Zeevonk will now pay the Dutch government €400m ($464m) in total — down from the original amount — to reflect the project’s reduced scale and extended timeline.

The developer will pay €20m annually for the first two years, with payments increasing once the wind farm is operational.

In a letter to parliament, Climate and Green Growth Minister Sophie Hermans said the adjustments were essential to keep the project alive in challenging market conditions, warning that without them it would likely not go ahead.

UK-based Wood was selected to carry out the engineering and design for the Zeevonk hydrogen project last February.

The 10-month FEED phase was set to deliver detailed cost estimates ahead of the procurement and construction process, underlining the scale and ambition of the original plan.