UK and Dutch Gas Giants Forge Green Alliance to Fuel Europe’s Hydrogen Future

From MoU to Megawatts: A Cross-Border Energy Play

In a move that could reshape Europe’s energy landscape, the UK’s National Gas and Dutch infrastructure titan Gasunie have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate decarbonization. The partnership targets a cocktail of solutions—natural gas, hydrogen, biomethane, and carbon capture and storage (CCS)—to bridge the gap between fossil fuels and a net-zero future. The deal, signed by National Gas’s Luke Rowlands and Gasunie’s Bert Kiewiet, signals a rare cross-border collaboration aimed at scaling cleaner energy systems. With Gasunie recently anointed by the Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Policy as the North Sea’s hydrogen network operator for 2024, the alliance gains geopolitical heft.

“This isn’t just about pipelines—it’s about rewriting Europe’s energy playbook,” says an industry insider close to the talks.

Hydrogen Highways: The UK-Germany Corridor

National Gas is no stranger to continental linkups. Earlier deals saw it partner with Germany’s GASCADE on hydrogen pipelines and Belgium’s Fluxys for decarbonization infrastructure. But the crown jewel is the proposed UK-Germany Hydrogen Corridor—a dual-section offshore pipeline that would tether UK hydrogen production to GASCADE’s AquaDuctus network in Germany. The project, still in exploratory phases, promises to turn the North Sea into a hydrogen superhighway, funneling British-made H2 to industrial hubs in Germany and beyond. Analysts note this could blunt Europe’s reliance on volatile LNG imports while bolstering energy security.

The Dutch Angle: Gasunie’s Grid Gambit

Gasunie’s role as the Netherlands’ designated hydrogen network operator adds muscle to the collaboration. The state-backed firm controls over 15,000 km of gas pipelines ripe for conversion—a ready-made grid for the MoU’s ambitions. “The Dutch have skin in the game,” notes a Brussels-based energy strategist. “They’re betting hydrogen will be to the 2030s what natural gas was to the 1970s.” Meanwhile, National Gas brings CCS expertise from projects like Scotland’s Acorn, creating a symbiotic tech exchange. The partnership’s first test? Harmonizing regulatory frameworks across three nations—a hurdle that’s sunk previous cross-border energy ventures.

“Hydrogen’s future isn’t national—it’s nodal. Projects like this prove it,” argues a lead engineer at Gasunie.

As Europe races to hit 2030 climate targets, the National Gas-Gasunie tie-up offers a template: repurpose legacy infrastructure, share risk, and think beyond borders. With the UK-Germany corridor alone projected to supply 10% of Europe’s hydrogen demand by 2035, the stakes—and potential payoffs—are colossal.