The Dutch Government is picking up the pace in the energy transition. However, the expansion of wind generation is facing congestion challenges, and the decarbonization of household heating and agricultural mobility proves that electrification is not always an option. These challenges occur together in rural areas like Oudeschip.
Hydrogen has emerged as a possible solution to the encountered problems. By producing hydrogen from the wind power and transporting the hydrogen through the natural gas infrastructure, household heating can be decarbonized without electrification. Furthermore, by converting the tractors of the local farmers to diesel-hydrogen hybrids, they can reduce their emissions. This research approaches the energy system of Oudeschip as a socio-technical system, and tackles the challenges in different sectors in an integrated manner.