06/11/2025 | Report

From June 11 to 12, 2025, all international project partners came together in Utrecht, the Netherlands, for the first in-person plenary consortium meeting of the EUH2STARS project. Since the official kick-off last year, this was our first opportunity to meet face-to-face, exchange insights, and strengthen collaboration across countries and organisations. 

Day 1 – Wednesday, June 11, 2025 

The first day began with a welcome from the Dutch partners EBN, TNO, and Shell. This was followed by an overview of the current status and future outlook for the development of Underground Hydrogen Storage in the Netherlands. In the afternoon, a session with external Dutch stakeholders was held, featuring presentations from RAG, EBN, TNO, and the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth. The day concluded with informal networking during a scenic boat tour through Utrecht’s historic canals, followed by a shared dinner in the city center. 

Day 2 – Thursday, June 12, 2025 

The thursday morning session focused on project updates and pitches from all partners and work packages. In the afternoon participants engaged in two productive workshops, one on “MMV plans and risk management” and the other on “Stakeholder interaction and analysis.” At the end of the day the two-day meeting was wrapped up with a final session and conclusion where project officer Dionisis Tsimis from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership joined. 

Special thanks to the Dutch partners EBN, TNO und Shell for organizing the great event and to all project partners for their active contributions! 

Together, we are taking key steps toward demonstrating the feasibility and scalability of underground hydrogen storage in depleted natural gas reservoirs – a cornerstone for Europe’s future energy system.