Onyx Power plans to build a plant to produce low-carbon blue H₂ autothermal reformer (ATR). With a capacity of 1,200 MW, the ATR could produce ~300 kilotons of blue H₂ per year on an industrial scale, which is urgently needed to reduce CO₂ emissions from industry.

To develop this project, Onyx Power announced to the responsible regulatory authority (DCMR) that it would conduct an environmental impact assessment in accordance with the Environmental Management Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment Decree. As part of this process, the company has published a Notitie Reikwijdte en Detailniveau (NRD) which describes the intended scope of the environmental impact assessment.

The plant could be commissioned by 2028 and would be located next to the existing Onyx power plant on the Maasvlakte. The location offers unique conditions for a timely and cost-effective start to blue H₂ production. For example, the location is near existing infrastructure and key players across the entire value chain are in close proximity to the site.

The project contributes to emission reductions of the largest industrial natural gas users and emitters of CO₂ in the Netherlands and Germany, such as gas-fired power plants, as well as chemical and steel producers. The production of ~300 kilotons per year of low-CO₂ blue H₂ could save 2.5 MMtpy of CO₂ by using CO₂ capture and storage.

Blue H₂ is a necessary step to rapidly reduce CO₂ emissions from energy-intensive industries. Until green H₂ is available in large quantities at a competitive price, blue H₂ can meet the demand for carbon-free H₂. Using the same infrastructure and production technologies, industries can gradually transition from blue to green H₂ as the energy transition progresses. This way, blue H₂ contributes to the rollout of green H₂.