The transition to a clean, fossil-free future requires courage, decisiveness, and collaboration. In East Netherlands, producer H2-Go and transporter Kuster H2 Energy are already joining forces. Together, they form the beginning of a regional hydrogen chain — from production to application — supplying emission-free fuel to, for example, construction sites, festivals, and public transport. Their mission: to make hydrogen accessible, keep it affordable, and produce it locally. Because those who want control over the energy future must start today.“It’s time to invest in an emission-free society; from 2035, the sale of vehicles running on fossil fuels will be banned. That calls for change,” says Paul Bombeld of Kuster H2 Energy. “Kuster is a fossil fuel supplier, but we also invest in alternatives like electric charging stations and hydrogen.”Paul found a like-minded partner in Jan Bastiaan of H2-Go B.V. Jan says, “We lease this world from our children. If we continue the way we’ve been going, we may leave them money, but also a world where you can’t breathe freely.”Chain Collaboration Accelerates the TransitionIf you spot an Arriva bus in the Achterhoek, there’s a good chance it runs on hydrogen supplied by Kuster H2 Energy. “In the future, we will purchase that hydrogen from H2-Go B.V. in Zwolle,” says Paul.Besides serving Arriva, Kuster H2 Energy also supplies private consumers via Europe’s largest hydrogen refueling station in Doetinchem. Four tanker trucks transport hydrogen from production to usage locations like construction sites and festivals.This hydrogen chain involves multiple partners, each with its own role. “Alone you go faster, but together you go further,” says Jan. “Transport requires specific licenses and trained staff to handle hazardous materials — and Kuster has that. We specialize in hydrogen production.”European production capacity; independent and sustainableBoth entrepreneurs are part of the H2EART initiative and wholeheartedly support the pooling of efforts to build a unified hydrogen ecosystem for East Netherlands and part of Germany. “H2EART brings together many parties from the hydrogen chain. One has a surplus of solar energy, another can convert it to hydrogen, and another can store or transport it,” they explain.Jan and Paul met through development agency Oost NL, the driving force behind H2EART. “Jan built a hydrogen factory in Zwolle. I said, we can handle sales and transport. Look at where we are now — and we’re still looking for new partners to expand the chain. It starts with connections, and H2EART helps with that.”Jan adds, “Now is the time to move forward with hydrogen. Consider geopolitical tensions and Europe’s fuel dependency. You can either pay high prices to keep getting fuel — or invest in European production capacity.”Hydrogen in East Netherlands and across the borderThe eastern part of the Netherlands — along and across the German border — deserves attention, the hydrogen entrepreneurs believe. “There are already quite a few hydrogen initiatives in the north and west of the Netherlands, thanks to North Sea wind energy. But if we want to use hydrogen in the east, it’s better to generate it here. That saves transport costs and makes hydrogen usage more affordable and appealing,” says Paul.Jan sees collaboration with Germany as a key to success. “It expands the ecosystem and lengthens the value chain — it simply offers more opportunities. Together we are stronger.”See also the website of <a href="https://kusterenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Kuster</a> and <a href="https://h2-go.nl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">H2GO</a>.&nbsp;

Entrepreneurs with a Shared Hydrogen Vision; H2-Go B.V. and Kuster H2 Energy are building the future