On Oct. 6, 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat) issued a statement of intent. The governments aim to jointly stimulate future hydrogen research & development and demonstration activities.

Hydrogen has caught the eye of governments and companies around the world. Through the H2@Scale program, for example, the U.S. government is exploring the potential for wide-scale hydrogen production and utilization. In March 2020 the Dutch government published its ambitious hydrogen agenda. Hydrogen will, according to the agenda, play an essential role in realizing the climate goals of the Dutch government (to reduce CO2 emissions by 49% in 2030 and 95% in 2050). Other Europeans countries such as Germany (in June 2020) and the EU (in July 2020) published hydrogen strategies as well.

Now the U.S. and Dutch governments have decided to work together. Through the collaboration, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Dutch Ministry Economic Affairs and Climate Policy will collect, analyze, and share information on hydrogen production and infrastructure technologies.

Both U.S. and Dutch officials expressed their enthusiasm for the partnership. Daniel Simmons (Assistant Secretary of EERE) stated that “this partnership will help address key hydrogen Research & Development areas, pave the way for at-scale hydrogen demonstrations, and foster new national, regional, and worldwide hydrogen value chains.”

On Sept. 23, 2020, the Dutch government entered into a collaboration with the Portuguese government regarding the export of green hydrogen from Portugal to the Netherlands. These international collaborations are a clear sign that hydrogen is gaining momentum around the world.