Hydrogen is seen as an important option for realizing the energy transition in greenhouse horticulture. But the change was not one-two-three. What is the current situation and what is the future of hydrogen in this sector?
Greenhouse horticulture The Netherlands and the leading horticultural and raw material industries are working together to create momentum for the use of hydrogen in greenhouse horticulture. Promising ideas have been collected from regions and clusters, and pilot projects are in their infancy.
“To make hydrogen profitable and accelerate the transition, we need to inspire growers. We need to show that there is a business case. Together we create a plan for using hydrogen in horticulture. And if we can scale up, the cost will naturally come down,” says Anneke van de Kamp from the leading sector of horticulture and raw materials.
The possibilities of hydrogen also infiltrated The Hague politically. The coalition agreement states that greenhouse horticulture has the potential to become a leader in energy efficient and circular production of high quality products. At the same time, the government argues that the sector is still too dependent on natural gas. In addition to geothermal energy, biomass, residual heat and electrification, hydrogen is mentioned as a solution.
We want to show manufacturers that hydrogen really has a business case.
ANNEKE VAN DE KAMP FROM THE LEADING SECTOR HORTICULTURE AND RAW MATERIALS
“Especially for horticultural clusters where geothermal or residual heat is not possible, hydrogen could be of interest. Think about areas in North Limburg,” Van de Kamp says.
The potential of hydrogen is also visible at the European level. In mid-September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the creation of a hydrogen bank. The amount in this bank is 3 billion euros. According to Van de Kamp, this is a good move. ‘This bank increases the viability of hydrogen in horticulture. After all, hydrogen must be developed on a larger scale than just in the Netherlands.’
High probability of deficiency
Van de Kamp points out that every sector wants to become more sustainable in the coming years. This increases the pressure on the hydrogen. “There are so many initiatives that depend on hydrogen. The potential for shortages is high. It’s good that Brussels is aware of this.” And although the transition to hydrogen will cost more than 3 billion euros in practice, Van de Kamp points out that this is a sign of good news. intentions.
But Van de Kamp thinks the European Union’s goal of producing around 10 million tons of clean hydrogen by 2030 is somewhat ambitious. “If we can put at least half of this into practice, we can already be very satisfied. In any case, these ambitions will lead to an increase in scale, and this is what we need to keep costs down.”
According to Van de Kamp, it will not be easy to coordinate supply and demand well. Significant infrastructure is needed to deliver hydrogen to the consumer. The licensing process also needs to be adjusted. “This requires good coordination. An individual producer cannot organize this. That is why it is important that, as in the case of geothermal energy, projects of this kind are carried out in cooperation with public-private parties and research organizations.”
Bringing knowledge to the sector
Van de Kamp said it is also important to bring existing knowledge and technology to the industry to apply hydrogen. “Entrepreneurs can inspire each other and show what is possible. As a greenhouse horticulture company in the Netherlands and a leading horticulture and raw material industry, we also play a role in this.”
It’s not that nothing is known about the use of hydrogen, emphasizes Van de Kamp. ‘We’ve been studying this for years. The technology for production and application is pretty much already there. The urgency now is only greater than it was many years ago.’
Another issue that remains unclear is the licensing process. But, as with geothermal energy, it is expected to be a complex process. “Therefore, one of the priorities for the coming years is also to get more clarity about this process. Entrepreneurs need this in order to think carefully about whether they want and can take this step,” says Van de Kamp.
Hydrogen will not be the ideal solution for every greenhouse. “Greenhouse horticulture has the luxury of having many sustainable options. And those choices will also differ by region. In certain areas, geothermal energy or residual heat may be the best solution,” Van de Kamp says.
