The Dutch government has committed €40 million through its Hydrogen in Mobility Subsidy Scheme (SWIM / “Subsidieregeling Waterstof in Mobiliteit”) to support eight strategic partnerships in scaling hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and deploying hydrogen-powered trucks and buses. The programme, administered by RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, aims to strengthen the hydrogen transport ecosystem — especially in the heavy transport sector.
Infrastructure Expansion and Vehicle Deployment
With funding approved in this year’s application round, the eight consortia will build four new hydrogen refuelling stations in Meerkerk, Steenwijk, Hattemerbroek, and Woerden, while upgrading existing stations in four other municipalities to provide hydrogen refuelling capacity.
In parallel, these partnerships requested subsidies for 355 hydrogen-powered vehicles, largely heavy goods vehicles, along with a portion of hydrogen-powered passenger buses.
The SWIM scheme stipulates that hydrogen refuelling stations must handle at least 500 kg/day and offer high-pressure dispensing (350 & 700 bar) to qualify, and that vehicles must use at least 30 % of the station’s capacity, with at least half of those vehicles being heavy duty.
The broader objective is to enable a hydrogen refuelling station in every urban hub by 2030. As it stands, the Netherlands already has 23 public hydrogen stations, some of which are capable of serving heavy road transport.
Strategic Importance & Policy Alignment
The SWIM subsidy is designed to stimulate both supply and demand simultaneously — building the infrastructure and ensuring uptake of hydrogen vehicles. The scheme requires that each consortium include at least one refuelling-station operator and one transport company to ensure alignment of interests.
This dual approach aligns with the Dutch government’s long-term hydrogen strategy, which regards hydrogen as a “system molecule” — one of the essential building blocks for a flexible, zero-carbon energy system in sectors that are difficult to electrify.
Indeed, the 2022 Hydrogen Roadmap for the Netherlands sets out targets such as installing 50 hydrogen refuelling stations by 2025 and 100 by 2030, supporting a fleet of up to 300,000 hydrogen vehicles by 2030.
Voices from RVO and the Ministry
“With the SWIM programme, we are bridging a critical gap in the hydrogen mobility value chain — making sure that when companies invest in hydrogen trucks and buses, the refuelling network is already in place,” said a spokesperson from RVO.
“We see strong interest from logistics firms and bus operators, and the €40 million support gives them confidence to commit to hydrogen in the near term,” the RVO spokesperson added.
From the Ministry’s side, a senior official in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management commented:
“Transport emissions remain one of our toughest challenges. Hydrogen offers a vital pathway for heavy-duty and long-range transport, complementing battery electrification. With SWIM funding, we are catalysing infrastructure rollout and early commercial scale-up.”
“Our ambition is that every major urban hub has hydrogen refuelling options by 2030 — this is a step toward achieving that objective,” the official continued.
These statements mirror earlier remarks by Ministry coordinators Dirk Schaap and Stefan Neis, who, in the context of past hydrogen initiatives, emphasised how the focus has shifted toward logistics and heavy-duty vehicles even as initial hydrogen projects centred more on passenger vehicles and taxis.
Challenges, Opportunities, and Outlook
While the SWIM funding is a substantial push forward, the transition is not without hurdles:
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Cost gap:
Hydrogen technologies still carry higher capital and operating costs compared to fossil alternatives or even battery-electric in some use cases. The SWIM scheme offers up to 80 % of the cost difference for vehicles and 40 % of refuelling station costs to help bridge that gap.
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Scale & utilisation:
To be economically viable, stations need consistent utilisation by heavy-duty fleets, hence the scheme’s requirement for vehicle-station integration.
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Green hydrogen sourcing:
The ambition is for 100 % renewable hydrogen at refuelling sites by 2036.
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Regulatory framework:
The Dutch government is preparing to transpose the EU’s RED III directive into national law, which will impose stronger renewable fuel mandates in transport starting in 2026.
Despite these challenges, the SWIM programme could be a turning point. As one industry analyst wrote:
“With the €40 million SWIM injection, the Netherlands adds 300+ hydrogen vehicles and new stations, signalling a more confident shift in transport policy.”
If execution proceeds smoothly, approvals, planning, construction, and vehicle delivery, these projects are slated to become operational between 2026 and 2028, anchoring early hydrogen corridors and bringing down costs through scale and learning.
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