The Netherlands has taken another step towards expanding its green hydrogen sector after the European Commission positively assessed the country’s request for €661 million in grants under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), Review Energy reported.
Green hydrogen is among the key energy initiatives covered by the payment request, with the Netherlands supporting research and demonstration projects aimed at increasing the production and use of hydrogen generated from renewable energy.
The Commission said the Netherlands had satisfactorily completed nine milestones and 15 targets linked to the fourth payment request. The measures span renewable energy, energy efficiency, innovation, education, taxation and pension reform.
The green hydrogen initiatives are designed to help develop technologies and practical applications that can support wider adoption of renewable hydrogen. By increasing research and demonstration activity, the Netherlands aims to strengthen the role of hydrogen in its broader clean-energy transition.
The hydrogen measures are part of a wider package of investments in renewable energy. The payment request also includes support for infrastructure and investments aimed at enabling offshore wind generation.
The combination of offshore wind and green hydrogen is significant for the Netherlands as the country seeks to expand renewable power and develop new ways to use clean electricity beyond direct power consumption.
The package also includes measures supporting more than 820,000 energy-saving improvements in homes across the country, alongside initiatives in digital education and programmes to improve the skills of unemployed people.
The Netherlands submitted its fourth payment request on July 2, 2026. Its national recovery and resilience plan is backed by €5.44 billion in EU grants and supports projects and reforms covering clean energy, digitalisation, energy efficiency, transport, employment, public administration and healthcare resilience.
If the €661 million payment is approved, total RRF funds disbursed to the Netherlands will reach €3.73 billion, or 68.6% of the country’s total allocation.
The European Commission said 81.1% of the milestones and targets under the Dutch recovery plan would have been completed after the payment.
The Commission’s positive assessment is not the final decision on the release of funds. The preliminary assessment has been sent to the Economic and Financial Committee, which has four weeks to provide its opinion.
The payment will then require a formal decision from the European Commission.
With the RRF due to end in 2026, EU member states must submit their final payment requests by the end of September. The Netherlands’ latest funding request therefore comes at an important stage in the implementation of its clean-energy and green hydrogen plans.
