It comes as the Government seeks to break the chicken-egg situation by making the option to use hydrogen in heavy-duty trucking a logistically viable option, boosting the number of stations in the country up from the 14 current.

Expected to start in early 2024, the subsidy is set to apply to plans if both a filling station is built and associated trucks are purchased, in a hope that supply and demand will be created simultaneously, seeing profitable hydrogen stations emerge throughout the Netherlands.

Vivianne Heijnen, Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, said, “I really like hydrogen as a clean fuel, especially for trucks. Heavy traffic can cover many kilometres on hydrogen, without exhaust fumes. Our transport sector is ambitious and so am I, together we can set the pace.”

The plan comes in line with European regulations that have set out that a hydrogen refuelling station much be installed along main routes, with no more than 100km between them.

Read more: European Parliament sends strong signal that clean hydrogen mobility is ‘viable solution to fossil fuels’

The Government has estimated that the subsidy scheme will be enough to see filling stations and accompanying trucks on the ground in five to 10 locations throughout the country.

Elisabeth Post, Chairman of the Board of Transport and Logistics Netherlands, commented, “It is important and good that investments are made in the infrastructure of zero-emission vehicles. This does not only apply to battery-electric vehicles, but certainly also to hydrogen-electric ones.”

H2 View’s Hydrogen Mobility Snap Summit – November 29

With the mobility pillar consistently a hot topic for hydrogen markets and arguably the most anticipated and relatable application of the energy transition, H2 View stages a Mobility Snap Summit this November to summarise the progress made in 2022 and look ahead to what’s still to come.

Infrastructure challenges remain. Questions linger over policy and implementation. Many wonder which strand of the transport sector will blaze the trail in hydrogen power first, and likewise which region. There are clear challenges ahead, yet considerable progress made in 2022 and bright spots ahead in 2023 and beyond.

Join H2 View this November for a half-day online event dedicated to unearthing the progress made, dissecting the challenges to be met and establishing the state-of-play across mobility as 2023 approaches. Find more information here.

Premium Subscribers to H2 View have access to this event as part of their subscription package; non-subscribers can secure access to the event with a delegate ticket ($99). All delegates can access the event on-demand from 1st December.