Key Takeaways
- A letter dated 4 September 2025 (Europe/Amsterdam) from the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth invites local residents in Spijkenisse, South Holland to walk-in and online sessions about Delta Rhine Corridor West (DRC West)—a plan for underground hydrogen (H₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) pipelines that connect Rotterdam, Moerdijk, and Boxtel, and link to DRC East.
- Feedback is open until 16 October 2025 (Europe/Amsterdam). Procedural comments go via the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO); content feedback goes via the participation platform linked by QR codes in the letter.
- Gasunie (the Dutch gas-infrastructure operator) leads technical delivery; Hynetwork handles the national hydrogen network; public-law procedure is coordinated with RVO.
- The project aims to cut emissions, power the energy transition, and strengthen industrial competitiveness, with commissioning for key segments anticipated around 2031–2033 according to public materials.
- Contact details on the flyer include 088 042 47 47 and an email for the project team at Bureau Energieprojecten / Inspraakpunt DRC West (mailing address in Drachten). In-person sessions require no registration; online sessions require sign-up.
Story & Details
What the letter asks residents to do (translated from Dutch)
The ministry’s letter announces walk-in information sessions and online meetings for DRC West. It invites residents to read and react to early project documents—Notice of Intent, Participation Plan, and a Draft Scope & Level of Detail memorandum—and explains where to submit remarks. The flyer lists September venues such as Tilburg, Den Bosch, Zwijndrecht, Roosendaal/Hoogerheide, Bergen op Zoom & Tholen, Zevenbergen, and Roelofarendsveen (translated from Dutch).
What Delta Rhine Corridor West is trying to build
DRC West is the western section of a cross-border system of underground pipelines for hydrogen and CO₂, running from the Port of Rotterdam (Maasvlakte) via Moerdijk to Boxtel, where it connects into the national hydrogen backbone and, through DRC East, toward Germany. Public materials describe a focus on H₂ supply to industry and CO₂ transport to storage or utilisation hubs.
Why it matters
Heavy industry in the Netherlands and Germany needs reliable low-carbon molecules and CO₂ management to decarbonise processes that electricity alone cannot easily replace. The corridor is designed to:
- move hydrogen at scale to refineries, chemicals, and high-temperature applications,
- move captured CO₂ to North Sea storage or other value chains,
- strengthen energy security and industrial competitiveness while cutting emissions.
How participation works
The project is under the Dutch Government Coordination Scheme for major energy infrastructure, which requires formal chances to comment. The RVO hosts procedure pages; Gasunie provides project content, newsletters, and frequently asked questions. The letter’s QR codes route residents to both. The public-procedure phase for DRC West began in early September 2025 (Europe/Amsterdam), opening a window for comments through 16 October 2025.
Timeline signals in public sources
Government and operator updates indicate a staged build-out, with hydrogen pipelines in the west targeted around 2031–2032 and broader network completion and CO₂ infrastructure extending toward 2033, subject to permitting, routing, and cross-border coordination.
Conclusions
The message to residents is clear: the Netherlands is building a backbone for hydrogen and CO₂—and wants nearby communities involved early. DRC West links local streets and national strategy, inviting practical questions about routing and safety while opening a path for industry to cut emissions at scale. Offering walk-in sessions, online briefings, and a formal comment window through 16 October 2025, the ministry and project team are pairing technical ambition with public participation in Europe/Amsterdam time.
Sources
- Gasunie — Delta Rhine Corridor (project overview): https://www.gasunie.nl/en/projects/delta-rhine-corridor
- Gasunie — DRC West hub page / newsletters: https://www.gasunie.nl/en/projects/delta-rhine-corridor-west
- Gasunie — News: start of public project procedure (8 September 2025): https://www.gasunie.nl/en/news/start-of-public-project-procedure-for-the-delta-rhine-corridor-marks-major-milestone-in-european-energy-infrastructure
- Hynetwork (Gasunie subsidiary) — Delta Rhine Corridor (region/project): https://www.hynetwork.nl/en/region/projects/delta-rhine-corridor
- Hynetwork — What we are working on (13 June 2025): https://www.hynetwork.nl/en/knowledge-base/article/hydrogen-via-the-delta-rhine-corridor-what-are-we-currently-working-on
- RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) — DRC West procedure page (in Dutch; content read and interpreted in English here): https://www.rvo.nl/onderwerpen/bureau-energieprojecten/lopende-projecten/drc-west
- Delta Rhine Corridor — Official project site (EN): https://www.delta-rhine-corridor.com/en
- Port of Rotterdam — Hydrogen & CO₂ focus confirmed (5 December 2024): https://www.portofrotterdam.com/en/news-and-press-releases/scope-hydrogen-and-co2-delta-rhine-corridor-underlines-urgency-making
- OGE (Germany) — CO₂ Grid (mentions DRC): https://oge.net/en/co2/co2-grid
- YouTube (Gasunie) — Webinar: “Expression of Interest Study Results Delta Rhine Corridor CO₂ & Delta Schelde CO₂nnection” (18 October 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tNJCt1qtm0
Appendix
Photographs of the ministry letter
Two photos supplied show the ministry’s invitation (dated 4 September 2025) to residents in Spijkenisse, South Holland regarding DRC West, with a comment deadline of 16 October 2025 and contact details 088 042 47 47 and email for Bureau Energieprojecten / Inspraakpunt DRC West (translated from Dutch).
Translations and technical terms
“Delta Rhine Corridor West (DRC West)”
Name of the western section of a planned pipeline corridor for hydrogen (H₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) from Rotterdam via Moerdijk to Boxtel; connects to DRC East (translated from Dutch: “Delta Rhine Corridor West”).
“Hydrogen (H₂)”
An energy carrier and industrial feedstock whose combustion yields water; here it is transported by pipeline to supply industrial users.
“Carbon dioxide (CO₂)”
A greenhouse gas captured from industrial processes; transported by pipeline for storage under the North Sea or for utilisation.
“Gasunie”
The Dutch state-owned gas transmission operator coordinating the DRC pipelines and the national hydrogen network.
“Hynetwork”
A Gasunie subsidiary responsible for planning and operating the Hydrogen Network Netherlands that interfaces with DRC West at Boxtel.
“RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency)”
The governmental body hosting project-procedure pages and handling formal steps under the Dutch Government Coordination Scheme.
“Notice of Intent” (translated from Dutch)
The initial procedural publication that announces the intention to proceed with a project and outlines how the public can participate.
“Participation Plan” (translated from Dutch)
The document that explains how residents, businesses, and stakeholders can give input during the procedure.
“Draft Scope & Level of Detail memorandum” (translated from Dutch)
A scoping note that frames what environmental and technical topics the subsequent studies will cover and how detailed those studies will be.
“Maasvlakte”
Deep-sea industrial and port area at the seaward edge of Rotterdam, acting as a major node for hydrogen import and CO₂ export.
“Boxtel”
Municipality in North Brabant where DRC West links into the national hydrogen network and to DRC East.
“Bureau Energieprojecten / Inspraakpunt”
The Dutch government’s energy-projects office and public comments point for major energy infrastructure (translated from Dutch).
“Government Coordination Scheme” (translated from Dutch)
A Dutch legal framework that coordinates permits and mandates public participation for nationally significant energy infrastructure.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 