Project Duwaal

Duwaal is developing a green hydrogen economy in the North-West of the Netherlands.

Objective of Duwaal

Duwaal was founded by a group of companies, including HYGRO, and is supported by New Energy Coalition and Development Company Noord-Holland Noord. Duwaal wants to jointly and simultaneously organise the hydrogen demand and supply in the North-West of the Netherlands. In the meantime, many parties have joined this initiative and progress is being made on the physical rollout of various sub-projects.

Collaboration is necessary to prioritise the projects in such a way that they contribute to a fast break-through of the hydrogen economy. The activities are based on a shared vision concerning the eventual organisation of the hydrogen value chain.

Duwaal presumes that, in addition to good coordination, upscaling and volume are also important and that eventually, the same as with electricity and natural gas, a publicly available transport and distribution system will be created.

The name Duwaal comes from the word dual. Essential for a smooth implementation is a “dual” creation of demand and supply and a stimulating framework. This approach prevents a chicken and egg deadlock that could stagnate all further developments.

Project ‘from wind to wheel’

The first set of joint initiatives that is realised within Duwaal is the chain ‘from wind to wheel’:

• Integrated hydrogen production in a wind turbine,
• Integrated high-pressure storage, transport and distribution system by road, from wind to at least five hydrogen refueling sites,
• Bundled procurement and management of 100 hydrogen trucks.

By developing the chain simultaneously, a fair scale and volume is realised from the start, are the chances and characteristics that hydrogen offer, optimal used and is the ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma broken, making financing of the chain relatively simple. Subsequently future other hydrogen production projects (like for instance from biomass or solar), or other hydrogen supply projects join the integrated transport and distribution system and so profit of the scale and volume that will lower the costs further, just as long until a network of pipelines makes it redundant.

Details of the project:

• In Wieringermeer, HYGRO is realizing a wind turbine with integrated electrolysis for hydrogen production with:
  • ENERCON 4 MW wind turbine;
  • 5 MW electrolysis system.

• Exchangeable and scalable 1000 bar storage and distribution system,
• Public refueling locations, the first location is:
  • NXT Boekelermeer (Alkmaar);
  • AVIA and HYGRO signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to establish a hub fueling station at AVIA's location in Wieringerwef along the A7 to provide 350 and 700 bar fueling;
  • AVIA has also expressed with this LOI their intention to realize four satellite refueling stations with HYGRO for 350 bar and 700 bar applications.

The sustainably produced hydrogen will be used in so-called fuel cell electric trucks, vans or other hydrogen electric applications such as generators for construction sites. In addition to CO2 emissions, this also prevents noise, NOx and particulate matter emissions. The project provides a glimpse into the energy infrastructure of the future.