Hydrogen: Driving the Energy Transition in the Cross-Border Region

Hydrogen is key to transforming our energy system, decarbonising industry and making the EU less dependent on fossil fuels. Governments are investing heavily: Germany is building its hydrogen core network, and the Netherlands is implementing the Nationaal Waterstof Programma. Our partner regions are right in the middle of it. The GetH2 Nucleus pipeline connects the RWE production site in Lingen with the Marl Chemical Park and the BP refinery in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven, and it runs straight through the TECH.LAND area. The region also benefits from a portfolio of innovative companies that are shaping the hydrogen economy, such as 2G Energy AG, Westfalen AG, Enapter, Demcon, Remeha, Nedstack, Elestor, and Lagerweij. Together with institutions like EUREGIO, IHK Nord Westfalen, and the Bezirksregierung Münster, the HydrogenX platform has been launched. Its goal: to map hydrogen initiatives across the cross-border region and make collaboration more visible.

Our vision and goals

We want to position TECH.LAND as an internationally recognised cross-border hydrogen application and infrastructure region in north-western Europe, from Lingen to Gelsenkirchen and from Arnhem to Münster. Our aim is to show how European hydrogen ambitions turn into tangible, scalable solutions. In the German part of our region alone, more than 200 MW of electrolyser capacity is planned by 2032, together with several hundred kilometres of hydrogen pipelines. Our strategic focus for 2026–2027:

• Infrastructure: hydrogen infrastructure and grid connectivity across the border
• Industry: industrial transformation and decarbonisation
• Mobility and energy systems: integrated solutions for transport, heat and power
• Skills: joint educational standards and qualification paths for skilled workers
• Regulation: cross-border legal frameworks, with our region as a testing ground for innovative regulation
• EU projects: stronger project pipeline and investment capacity

Projects and milestones

• Pilot projects and infrastructure: access to pilot projects and shared infrastructure, from the GetH2 Nucleus pipeline to storage capacities and test environments such as the H2 Hub Twente and the HAN H2 Lab
• Funding opportunities: support in identifying and applying for EU, national and Interreg funding, including flagship initiatives like H2B and the H2EART rebid with 42 partners is a central strategic initiative for European hydrogen funding
• Regulatory support: guidance through the cross-border legal and regulatory landscape, with our region acting as a testing ground for innovative, harmonised regulation
• Matchmaking: connecting companies, research institutions and knowledge carriers across the border to build joint projects and partnerships
• Demand and offtake cooperation: facilitating potential demand- and offtake-partnerships to help hydrogen projects move from pilot to market