Eneco said it has filed its planning application for the electrolyser, a hydrogen plant that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity.

Current hydrogen plants run on natural gas, emitting large quantities of CO2.

Emission-free green hydrogen is seen as an important part of the energy transition and the Dutch government has said it aims to increase production of it in the Netherlands to 4 gigawatts by 2030.

Construction of the new plant is expected to start in 2026, Eneco said, and it is expected to be operational in 2029.

The electrolyser would ultimately have capacity of 800 megawatts (MW), using renewable energy from solar parks and wind farms to produce its hydrogen.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by David Goodman)