Twente bypasses national delays and taps directly into Germany's hydrogen network

While the rollout of a national Dutch hydrogen network continues to face delays, the Twente region in the east of the Netherlands is taking a pragmatic shortcut: a direct connection to the German hydrogen grid. The plan could deliver green hydrogen to local industrial companies before 2030 — roughly a decade earlier than if the region had waited for the Dutch national network.

From meetings to action

The province of Overijssel had spent a year and a half trying in vain to get clarity from The Hague on when Twente would be connected to the national hydrogen network. Dutch plans for that network focus primarily on the major industrial clusters around Rotterdam and Limburg — leaving regions like Twente on the sidelines.

Provincial councillor Tijs de Bree, responsible for the energy transition, decided to look across the border. Just over the boundary near Nordhorn, the German grid operator Thyssengas is already building a hydrogen network. The solution: a T-junction on that pipeline, connected to an existing Cogas gas main at Denekamp. A deal was reached within three months.

Cogas has now signed a contract with Thyssengas for the construction of the tap-off point. The province of Overijssel is supporting the project with a subsidy. The connection is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, with the first actual hydrogen deliveries to Twente businesses planned before 2030.

A broad consortium at low cost

The project is backed by a wide Twente-German consortium, including the municipalities of Enschede, Almelo, Hengelo and Oldenzaal, the province of Overijssel, Oost NL, TECHLAND, H2HUB Twente, Twente Board, Energiestrategie Twente (RES Twente), Thyssengas and Cogas.

The cost savings are striking. Councillor De Bree estimates the German route will cost around €300,000, compared to the earlier estimate of between €1 and €2 million via the Dutch national network. The reason: existing pipelines can be repurposed and no lengthy national planning process is required.

Hydrogen for heavy industry

Those involved are clear that hydrogen is not the answer for everyone — but it is indispensable for certain industrial processes. Ordinary homes can get by with heat pumps and solar panels. But companies that need high process temperatures — such as Bolletje bakery in Almelo, which bakes 50,000 rolls of crispbread daily at temperatures above 200°C — have very few realistic alternatives to natural gas.

Electricity grids are another barrier: the connection capacity needed by large industrial users simply isn't available in many areas. For heavy industry sitting on an overloaded electricity network, hydrogen is not a luxury but a necessity.

Safety and knowledge first

The switch to hydrogen also brings new challenges. Hydrogen molecules are smaller than natural gas molecules and behave differently — they escape more easily at pipe joints, and a hydrogen flame is nearly invisible in daylight. To prepare emergency services, grid operators and businesses, the Twente Safety Campus in Enschede is opening HyField: a new hydrogen testing and training facility on Technology Base Twente.

A blueprint for other regions?

The Twente model — cross-border regional cooperation, reusing existing infrastructure, not waiting for national decision-making — could become a blueprint for other Dutch regions that fall outside the national hydrogen plan. It shows that the energy transition can also be accelerated from the bottom up.

Sources:

• EenVandaag (27-04-2026)
• Province of Overijssel
• Municipality of Almelo
• Municipality of Oldenzaal
• 1Twente
• Industrielinqs
• Oost NL