Groningen Launches Europe's First Hydrogen-Powered Municipal Fleet

2025-12-15 green

Groningen, Monday, 15 December 2025.
The Dutch city of Groningen has deployed the continent’s first hydrogen waste collection and street cleaning vehicles, marking a breakthrough in municipal green technology. This historic launch includes specialized trucks from E-Trucks Europe and passenger vehicles as part of an ambitious zero-emission city center initiative. The deployment demonstrates practical hydrogen implementation in everyday municipal operations, positioning Groningen as a pioneer in sustainable urban services. This achievement aligns with broader Dutch hydrogen acceleration efforts, including new government subsidies designed to make renewable hydrogen economically competitive with traditional grey hydrogen for industrial users.

E-Trucks Europe Delivers First European Municipal Hydrogen Fleet

The municipality of Groningen has become the first European city to deploy hydrogen-powered waste collection and street sweeping vehicles, with operations beginning on December 15, 2025 [1]. The fleet includes a hydrogen waste truck manufactured by E-Trucks Europe, a hydrogen street sweeper, and two hydrogen passenger cars [1]. E-Trucks Europe, headquartered in Westerhoven, Netherlands, with facilities at Leemskuilen 41, provided the specialized waste collection vehicle that marks this historic deployment [1]. The company also maintains operations in Belgium through its subsidiary E-Trucks Europe b.v.b.a., located at Gerard Mercatorstraat 51 in Lommel [1]. Groningen views hydrogen technology as the definitive solution for achieving an emission-free city center, representing a strategic shift toward sustainable municipal operations [1].

Strategic Position in Europe’s Leading Hydrogen Valley

Groningen’s hydrogen vehicle deployment leverages the region’s position as Europe’s leading Hydrogen Valley, with North Netherlands hosting dozens of hydrogen projects currently under development [2]. The Eemsdelta region, which includes key ports like Delfzijl and Eemshaven, contains virtually the entire hydrogen ecosystem, encompassing transport, production, consumption, import, and storage capabilities [3]. Groningen Seaports has been actively promoting the scaling up of green hydrogen production, with many projects planned specifically for the ports of Delfzijl and Eemshaven [2]. The regional hydrogen infrastructure includes established facilities such as the H2 Hub in Delfzijl, operated by Green Planet, which focuses on purification and compression of green hydrogen with a capacity of 4,000 kg of hydrogen per day [2]. Additionally, Nobian is developing a 20 MW electrolyzer (Djewels 1) in partnership with Gasunie to expand hydrogen production capacity within Chemie Park Delfzijl [2].

Government Support Through STIHWI Subsidy Framework

The Groningen hydrogen fleet deployment aligns with broader Dutch government initiatives to accelerate hydrogen adoption through the STIHWI (Stimulering Toename Inzet Hernieuwbare Waterstof in de Industrie) subsidy scheme [4]. The STIHWI program is specifically designed to reduce the price difference between grey hydrogen and renewable hydrogen, providing industrial users with greater certainty about renewable hydrogen availability while giving producers and import terminals more certainty about demand [4]. The Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth (KGG) will host an online knowledge session on January 13, 2026, from 15:00 to 16:30 CET to explain the subsidy scheme and its relationship with other hydrogen instruments [4]. This regulatory support framework demonstrates the Dutch government’s commitment to bridging the economic gap that has historically hindered widespread adoption of renewable hydrogen in industrial and municipal applications [4].

Municipal Ambitions and Regional Hydrogen Ecosystem

The municipality of Groningen has established an ambitious target to achieve CO₂ neutrality by 2035, as outlined in the roadmap ‘Towards a CO₂-neutral Groningen’ [5]. This hydrogen vehicle deployment represents a concrete step toward that goal, supported by the broader regional infrastructure that includes 8,000 MW of sustainable energy sources, including offshore and onshore wind farms, solar installations, and bioenergy plants [5]. The Province of Groningen aims to become an energy-neutral region by 2050, with support from the Energy Implementation Programme 2024–2027 [5]. The regional approach includes collaboration with academic institutions, as the University of Groningen plays a leading role in energy transition through interdisciplinary research, education, and sustainable business operations [5]. Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen’s EnTranCe facility serves as a testing ground for hydrogen applications and system integration, providing the research foundation that supports practical deployments like Groningen’s municipal fleet [5].

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