The EU intends to become a climate-neutral continent by 2050. Clean hydrogen will be a
crucial component to decarbonizing several sectors and creating an entirely new and
prospering market. This master's thesis addresses how and to what extent Norway and
the Netherlands can play a role in the clean hydrogen market in the EU and their path
towards a low-carbon society. It uses qualitative comparative research design with an
actor-centric approach at the government and business levels. Furthermore, the study
address similarities and differences in the national hydrogen transitions by comparing
government hydrogen strategies. Comparisons are made of Equinor and Gasunie's
approaches to the transition to clean hydrogen production by studying their most
prominent hydrogen projects. It also analyses and compares the countries’ efforts to
impact EU policies on what they consider essential. The thesis concludes that Norway and
the Netherlands are well placed to produce blue and green hydrogen and contribute with
kickstarting the market. Actors at the government and business level must actively
participate in dialogues for their interests to influence EU policy. The Dutch actors have
actively contributed at an early stage with clear, proactive measures and active
discussions and participation internationally compared to the Norwegian players. This
thesis implies that the Norwegian government must be willing to cooperate closely with
the Dutch government if Norway is to play a significant role in the European hydrogen
market. Equinor's assessments of a new pipeline to the Northern Netherlands could be an
excellent opportunity for Norway to join the European Hydrogen Backbone network.