The US Green Hydrogen Industry Is Taking Its Show On The Road

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The US green hydrogen industry has received a kneecapping from the Trump administration this year. Still, some US-based stakeholders can pack up and take their wares elsewhere. After all, it’s a big world out there and other governments around the world are willing to subsidize new decarbonization projects that boot fossil energy out of the hydrogen supply chain, with an assist from green hydrogen know-how developed in the US.

The H2 Hollandia Green Hydrogen Project

The forthcoming H2 Hollandia green hydrogen project in the Netherlands is a case in point. On November 5, the New York-based green hydrogen specialist Plug Power announced that its 5-megawatt electrolyzer system will be the cornerstone of the H2 Hollandia project, located in the northeastern part of the Netherlands in the province of Drenthe.

Electrolyzer systems push hydrogen gas from water by applying an electrical current to a catalyst. That sounds green enough. However, grid-connected systems don’t connect all the green dots when fossil power plants are part of the mix.

Ideally, green hydrogen systems are powered exclusively by renewable energy, and that is what the Hollandia project is designed to do. Plug Power’s new electrolyzer will be linked directly to the existing 115-MWp Vloeivelden Hollandia solar array.

Plug Power anticipates that the Hollandia project will serve as a model for other decentralized green hydrogen production systems elsewhere in Europe, with a particular focus on easing the strain in areas where existing transmission resources are inadequate and difficult, if not impossible, to upgrade. The Hollandia installation is Plug Power’s second project in the Netherlands, following a demonstration project at the Green Box clean tech campus in Hengelo.

“The electrolyzer at H2 Hollandia produces green hydrogen without placing any additional burden on the electricity grid,” Plug Power emphasizes. “Because the system is directly connected to the adjacent solar farm, it can convert surplus solar generation, energy that would otherwise be curtailed, into hydrogen that can be stored and distributed for use in transport and industry.”

“Upon completion, H2 Hollandia will be the first operational electrolyzer hydrogen hub in the Netherlands producing entirely green hydrogen and delivering roughly 300,000 kilograms annually for sustainable mobility and industrial use across the region,” Plug Power emphasizes.

Jose Luis Crespo, Plug Power’s President and CRO, also chipped his two cents into a press release. “The project demonstrates how Plug’s electrolyzer technology can help relieve grid congestion, strengthen energy resilience, and accelerate industrial decarbonization,” Crespo said, while also noting that the new electrolyzer is “an important step in our broader European expansion.”

More Green Hydrogen Hubs For The Netherlands…

The Dutch green energy developer Novar is spearheading the Hollandia project along with the construction firm Avitec. In a press statement last month, Novar underscored the key role of green hydrogen in the Netherlands.

“This project is a game changer for sustainable energy in the Netherlands. By converting solar power directly into hydrogen, we solve two major challenges at once: we reduce grid congestion and enable clean mobility,” said Novar co-founder Jelmer Pijlman.

“Novar and Avitec aim to bridge the gap between hydrogen supply and demand by making hydrogen available regionally and thus accelerating the development of a decentralized hydrogen economy,” Novar emphasized again for good measure.

If all goes according to plan, the system will produce 300,000 kilograms of green hydrogen yearly, once it is up and running in 2026. In addition to pumping green hydrogen into the local economy, the project will help optimize the capacity of the solar array. “Currently, due to limited local grid capacity, the solar park cannot always feed its electricity into the grid on very sunny days,” Novar explains.

“With H2 Hollandia, this surplus energy can now be used to produce green hydrogen. This ensures that solar energy is utilized far more efficiently, contributing to a more stable and sustainable energy supply,” the company adds. “The project will not only contribute to the decarbonization of the Dutch energy system, but will also serve as a blueprint for future green hydrogen projects in the Netherlands and abroad.”

…But Not For The US

As Novar observes, green hydrogen is an emerging industry with a limited track record of success. To boost the H2 Hollandia project into the FID (Final Investment Decision) stage, the project required a measure of private sector financial wrangling along with public support. Novar lists the Demonstration Energy and Climate Innovation program and the Scaling Up Fully Renewable Hydrogen Production through Electrolysis program among other public sources of support, along with the Province of Drenthe.

“Such public investment is currently indispensable for launching innovative green hydrogen projects and expanding the availability of green hydrogen in the Netherlands,” Novar concludes.

Meanwhile, over here in the US, the green hydrogen economy seemed poised for takeoff just a few years ago. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included a $7 billion carve-out to provide federal support for a new network of hydrogen hubs, leveraging different supply chains, transportation networks, storage facilities, and end-use markets in different parts of the US.

In short order the Energy Department identified seven new hydrogen hubs for funding. The BIL stipulated a set-aside for projects based on natural gas with carbon capture, but most of the funds went to support water electrolysis and biogenic resources.

It seemed like smooth sailing up until a few weeks ago, when the Trump administration announced that the funds will not be distributed as planned. Although Plug Power and other green hydrogen stakeholders seem to be the immediate targets for defunding, natural gas hydrogen projects may also be in jeopardy.

Next Steps For A US Hydrogen Economy

The prospects for a green hydrogen recovery in the US are pretty dim, but not out of the question. Global stakeholders like Plug Power can tread water in other markets until US government once again takes up decarbonization as a national priority.

In the meantime, US innovators continue to innovate, setting the stage for a comeback. The startup Rentricity, for example, has just received a patent for a green hydrogen production system that leverages the pressure in water systems.

“Traditional water systems dissipate pressure through valves, wasting valuable energy potential. Rentricity’s patented systems convert that wasted pressure into electricity using compact turbines and generators — a technology already deployed in water utilities across the U.S.,” the firm explains.

“Rentricity moves beyond electricity generation to decentralized hydrogen production, supporting the nation’s transition to carbon-free energy and resilient utility infrastructure,” they add.

Decentralized hydrogen production is also the theme of another green hydrogen innovator, the Michigan firm Sesame Solar. The company has partnered with the hydrogen-powered drone manufacturer Heven AeroTech to launch a mobile, solar-powered green hydrogen production and storage station.

“By generating its own power through solar energy, hydrogen generation, and low-pressure solid-state storage, Sesame’s Mobile DRNs function as the first closed-loop, mobile refueling stations for Heven’s Z-1 platform,” Sesame explains. “This combination delivers 8+ hours of flight endurance—up to six times longer than battery-powered systems—and enables drones to operate autonomously in the field for up to six months.”

“Upon arrival, drones can be assembled and deployed in just five minutes—no tools required—and refueled instantly from Sesame’s solid-state hydrogen tanks, eliminating wait times for hydrogen generation,” the company adds.

Drones or not, Sesame is already marketing its mobile microgrid under the name Mobile Nanogrid. The system is designed for easy set-up by one person in about 15 minutes, including battery energy storage as well as a solid state system for the hydrogen. Although military deployment is the primary use case, Sesame states that dozens of its Mobile Nanogrids are already in use within the US and elsewhere, with communications firms and emergency responders among the off-takers.

Keep an eye out for more where that came from. Sesame has opened a new factory in Jackson, Michigan, to meet demand for its Mobile Nanogrids.

Photo (cropped): Excess electricity from an existing solar farm in the Netherlands will anchor the new H2 Hollandia green hydrogen project, using an electrolyzer system from the US firm Plug Power (cropped, courtesy of Novar).