Laid in the Port of Rotterdam by Dutch state-owned Gasunie, the first section was filled with green hydrogen supplied by Plug Power from a production site in northern Germany.

“It was quite a challenging process,” Dutch hydrogen network manager Niels van Pagee said.

“Within a short time span and under a tight deadline, dozens of trailers carrying containers full of green hydrogen had to make their way from northern Germany to the Maasvlakte industrial area near Rotterdam, where we had set up a temporary filling site.”

It marks the completion of the firm segment of the planned 1,200km nationwide network, which will connect the industrial port areas of Zeeland, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Noord/

However, the development has faced significant challenges and delays. In December 2024, Gasunie pushed back the project by three years, citing slow hydrogen market development as a barrier to building infrastructure.

In 2025, the company said the difficulties continued, with familiar challenges hampering progress.

The Port of Rotterdam has been home to huge clean hydrogen investments. In addition to production within the region, it is hoping to support the import of large volumes of hydrogen carriers for wider European consumption.

The Dutch hydrogen network will eventually link up neighbouring networks in Germany.