In a bid to speed up the deployment of hydrogen-powered transport, the Dutch Government is set to introduce a €22m ($22.7m) subsidy scheme for hydrogen refuelling stations with accompanying trucks.

It comes as the Government seeks to break the chicken-egg situation by making the option to use hydrogen in heavy-duty trucking a logistically viable option, boosting the number of stations in the country up from the 14 current.

Expected to start in early 2024, the subsidy is set to apply to plans if both a filling station is built and associated trucks are purchased, in a hope that supply and demand will be created simultaneously, seeing profitable hydrogen stations emerge throughout the Netherlands.

Vivianne Heijnen, Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management, said, “I really like hydrogen as a clean fuel, especially for trucks. Heavy traffic can cover many kilometres on hydrogen, without exhaust fumes. Our transport sector is ambitious and so am I, together we can set the pace.”

The plan comes in line with European regulations that have set out that a hydrogen refuelling station much be installed along main routes, with no more than 100km between them.

The Government has estimated that the subsidy scheme will be enough to see filling stations and accompanying trucks on the ground in five to 10 locations throughout the country.

Elisabeth Post, Chairman of the Board of Transport and Logistics Netherlands, commented, “It is important and good that investments are made in the infrastructure of zero-emission vehicles. This does not only apply to battery-electric vehicles, but certainly also to hydrogen-electric ones.”