RWE secures permit for MaasH2: potentially Europe's largest green hydrogen plant at the Maasvlakte

German energy major RWE has received an environmental permit for the construction of MaasH2, a large electrolyser at the Tweede Maasvlakte in Rotterdam. The installation will have an input capacity of up to 325 megawatts and is expected to produce up to 6 tonnes of green hydrogen per hour — which would make it, on paper, the largest green hydrogen plant in Europe.

What is MaasH2?

MaasH2 is RWE's project for large-scale green hydrogen production via electrolysis. In electrolysis, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity — with no CO₂ emissions, provided the power comes from renewable sources. The hydrogen produced is intended for industry and heavy transport in the Rotterdam region.

For its power supply, RWE is counting on the OranjeWind offshore wind farm (Hollandse Kust West VII), which RWE is developing together with TotalEnergies. The wind farm has a capacity of 795 megawatts and is expected to be fully commissioned in early 2028. This means MaasH2's grid connection depends on that wind farm — a cable that does not yet exist.

A permit is a milestone, but not the finish line

RWE itself stresses that the project is still under development. No final investment decision (FID) has been taken by its headquarters in Essen. That decision is not expected before the second half of 2027 at the earliest. If the FID is positive and construction begins, MaasH2 could be operational by 2030.

The project's success also depends on securing long-term offtake agreements with major industrial processors and refineries. Without those contracts, the business case for an investment of this scale is difficult to close.

The Maasvlakte as a European hydrogen hub

MaasH2 is not the only major hydrogen project at the Maasvlakte. Air Liquide is building the 200 MW ELYgator electrolyser there, for which a final investment decision was already taken in July 2025. That facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2027 and will produce around 23,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year, partly destined for TotalEnergies' refinery in Antwerp.

Shell is already building its Holland Hydrogen I electrolyser (200 MW) at the Maasvlakte, which has already been connected to Gasunie's new hydrogen network. The combination of multiple large electrolysers, the national hydrogen pipeline, and proximity to major seaports is turning the Maasvlakte into a strategic hub for green hydrogen in north-western Europe.

Hydrogen for industry, not for passenger cars

It is worth emphasising where all this hydrogen is headed: to industry and heavy transport, not to forecourts for passenger vehicles. Refineries, chemical plants and large industrial complexes use enormous quantities of hydrogen as feedstock and fuel. By replacing grey hydrogen — currently produced largely from natural gas — with green hydrogen, industry can progressively reduce its fossil fuel dependency.

Sources:

• Industrielinqs – RWE permit for MaasH2 (April 2026): industrielinqs.nl
• Telegraaf/DFT – Green light for RWE hydrogen plant Maasvlakte (April 2026)
• RWE / TotalEnergies – OranjeWind FID announcement (July 2024): rwe.com
• Air Liquide – FID ELYgator electrolyser Maasvlakte (July 2025): offshorewind.biz
• Port of Rotterdam – hydrogen hub Maasvlakte