A clean hydrogen market in the making. Comparing Norway's and the Netherland's roles in the European hydrogen transition.

Abstract

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.