There will only be pipelines for hydrogen and CO₂ in the Delta Rhine Corridor, the Dutch Hydrogen National Program reported. Ammonia and direct current cables are no longer part of the project. The government is taking this decision to prevent major, expected delays due to the latter two. This is stated in a letter to Parliament dated 5 December 2024.
The original plan for the Delta Rhine Corridor (DRC) was to construct a bundle of underground pipelines and cables for the transport of hydrogen, CO2, direct current and ammonia. The route runs between Rotterdam and the German border, via the industry in Moerdijk and Geleen.
The expected delays as indicated by the government for ammonia and direct current cables ensure that the DRC process is proceeding more slowly. For example, because many of the rules required for this process are still missing. More research is also needed and setting up cooperation between initiators takes time.
By only opting for pipelines for hydrogen and CO2, the construction of these will remain on schedule. This is important to make the industry more sustainable and to achieve the climate goals.
The decision on DC cables will cause additional costs for TenneT. Among other things, because the grid operator will have to conduct additional research or buy more land. TenneT estimates that the power cables will not be completed until 2040.
The decision may also have consequences for the plans to generate around 50 gigawatts (GW) of wind energy at sea in 2040. This is because deep landing of DC is no longer possible via the DRC route. Deep landing is the infrastructure that is needed to bring electricity from offshore wind farms to the interior. The government will start a process to find a new route as soon as possible.
There will still be room in the DRC strip for future pipelines for hazardous substances. Ammonia is one of these. This will allow initiators to still install these pipelines at a later stage.
The hydrogen pipeline to Boxtel will be ready between 2031 and 2032. It will be connected to the existing Gasunie infrastructure there.
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