NV NEDERLANDSE GASUNIE

Their core work

Gasunie is the Dutch national gas transmission system operator, managing over 15,000 km of pipeline infrastructure across the Netherlands and northern Germany. In H2020, they contribute their large-scale energy infrastructure expertise to hydrogen economy projects, specifically around converting existing gas networks for hydrogen transport and enabling industrial-scale green hydrogen production. Their participation centers on the Northern Netherlands region, where they are a key player in building one of Europe's first integrated hydrogen valleys connecting production, transport, storage, and end-use.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Gasunie's H2020 involvement began in 2017 with ENSYSTRA, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie training network on energy system transitions — a more academic, exploratory engagement. By 2020, their focus sharpened dramatically toward concrete hydrogen deployment: both Djewels (industrial electrolysis) and HEAVENN (regional hydrogen valley) are large Innovation Action projects with direct infrastructure buildout. This shift from research training to real-world hydrogen deployment mirrors the broader European gas-to-hydrogen infrastructure pivot.

Gasunie is moving decisively from gas transmission operator to hydrogen infrastructure provider, making them a critical partner for any project requiring large-scale hydrogen transport, storage, or regional deployment.

How they like to work

Gasunie consistently joins as a participant or partner, never leading as coordinator — typical for a large infrastructure operator that contributes assets and domain knowledge rather than managing research agendas. With 66 unique partners across 12 countries, they operate in large, diverse consortia. Their role is that of an infrastructure anchor: they bring pipeline networks, industrial site access, and real-world deployment capacity that smaller research partners cannot provide.

Gasunie has collaborated with 66 unique partners across 12 countries, reflecting the large consortium sizes of their Innovation Action projects. Their geographic focus is weighted toward Northern Europe, particularly the Netherlands and Germany, consistent with their physical infrastructure footprint.

What sets them apart

Gasunie is not a research organization or technology developer — they are the operator of one of Europe's largest gas pipeline networks, now actively repurposing that infrastructure for hydrogen. This makes them an irreplaceable partner for any project that needs to move hydrogen from production to end-use at scale. Few organizations in Europe can offer both the physical infrastructure and the regulatory/operational experience of running a national transmission system.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HEAVENN
  EUR 1.4M contribution to building one of Europe's first integrated hydrogen valleys in Northern Netherlands, spanning industry, transport, and heating sectors.
• Djewels
  Focused on deploying a 20MW green hydrogen electrolyser at the Delfzijl chemical cluster — one of the largest planned electrolysis installations in Europe at the time of funding.