Cross-Border Business Delegation Pushes for Hydrogen Ramp-Up

From 25 to 27 May 2025, ten German and Dutch companies – including 2G Energy AG, Firan, H2 Powercell GmbH, Hydrogen Architects, Hydronex, Thyssengas GmbH, VoltH2, ZINQ GmbH & Co. KG, EcoStream Maroc, Demo, Deelrijk – joined forces in Brussels to advocate for a faster hydrogen ramp-up across borders and along the entire value chain. Also Germany Trade & Invest supported the delegation at EU level.

Their core message to the European institutions: the hydrogen market ramp-up needs a decentralized approach – supported by grid stability, flexible energy integration, full technological openness, and cross-border transport solutions between Germany and the Netherlands. Alongside large infrastructure projects, it is crucial to implement fast, scalable, and practical solutions. However, regulatory barriers, non-competitive prices, and a foreseeable lack of infrastructure – especially in cross-border contexts – continue to inhibit investment and progress, particularly for energy-intensive and medium-sized enterprises.

The companies were part of a delegation organized by our Dutch-German innovation initiative TECH.LAND, which is coordinated by business representatives and supported by actors such as IHK Nord Westfalen, Oost NL, the Twente Board, WiN Emscher-Lippe GmbH, the Province of Overijssel, and Achterhoek Ambassadeurs. Together, they held high-level talks with representatives of the European Commission’s Directorates-General for Internal Market (DG GROW), Regional Policy (DG REGIO), and Energy (DG ENER), as well as with Hydrogen Europe and the Benelux Secretariat – in meetings at the NRW State Representation and the House of the Dutch Provinces.

Particularly well received was the joint appearance of the participating companies, representing the full hydrogen value chain – from infrastructure and system solutions to application and circular processes. IHK President Lars Baumgürtel made it clear: “If we are serious about building a joint European hydrogen infrastructure, we must overcome national borders in planning and financing.”

Less bureaucracy, greater planning certainty, decentralized solution strategies, and a coordinated European framework were the key demands raised by the business delegation. “The economy in the German-Dutch border region is ready for the hydrogen ramp-up – but we now need the right incentives and a suitable European regulatory framework to make it happen,” emphasized Isabelle Bahlo of Thyssengas GmbH. Sebastian Niehoff, CEO of H2 Powercell GmbH, added: “The emergence of heterogeneous hydrogen hotspots in Germany and the Netherlands can be brought together into an integrated cluster through TECH.LAND.”

Kerstin Jorna, Director-General of DG GROW, also welcomed the delegation’s initiative to engage directly with the EU. She emphasized the importance of cross-border regional initiatives and advocated for stronger networking: “In Europe, our task is to collaborate. TECH.LAND clearly demonstrates how vital it is to work together across borders and along the entire value chain.”

Hans Brouwers, Program Manager of TECH.LAND, concluded: “We achieved our goal of increasing visibility for our cross-border technology and hydrogen activities in Brussels, sending clear political signals, and deepening our cooperation. We are also hoping for further support from the EU.”