Building on the previous edition, this year’s programme focuses on the first operational phase of the hydrogen value chain. Central themes include hydrogen production and import, and the crucial connection between the Port of Rotterdam and Rotterdam The Hague Airport as key nodes in the emerging hydrogen infrastructure and economics.
The RHIA event opens with a plenary session featuring leading partners from the port ecosystem. The Port of Rotterdam will share its vision for hydrogen development in the region, followed by an update from Air Products on the expansion of its liquid hydrogen plant.
In the second part of the programme, the focus shifts to the airport perspective. The DutcH₂ Aviation Hub team will showcase the concrete progress made across the programme’s portfolio — including the opening of the Liquid Hydrogen Storage Facility for R&D, the first safety test at Rotterdam The Hague Airport in the EU funded project Albatros, the arrival of a hydrogen refuelling station on land side (Fountain Fuel), advancements in distribution pathways, and ongoing work on refuelling infrastructure, certification, and safety. Alongside these milestones, we will also take a candid look at challenges that remain, and research still required to move hydrogen aviation from early demonstrations to scalable operations. The session concludes with a forward-looking announcement that marks the beginning of the programme’s next development phase.
By aligning the Hub event with the World Hydrogen Summit, we ensure that our work is visible to the international hydrogen community already gathered in Rotterdam. It provides a practical opportunity to connect with global partners, exchange insights, and place the Dutch hydrogen aviation efforts in the wider context of the energy transition. This connection strengthens collaboration and helps position the Netherlands as an active contributor to the development of hydrogen-powered aviation. With the integration of AeroDelft’s hydrogen taxi test planned on Thursday 21st of May, we move beyond discussion and demonstrate real-world implementation of first steps towards hydrogen aviation solutions.
Rotterdam Ahoy Convention CentreRoom Dock 12Ahoyweg 103084 BA Rotterdam
Introduction by Cornelia Bom – Rotterdam The Hague Innovation Airport and Daan van Dijk – DutcH₂ Aviation Hub/ Rotterdam The Hague Airport
Focus: Rotterdam (and its surrounding region) as a living lab for hydrogen-powered aviation.
Speaker: Mark Stoelinga Director Energy, Commercial- Port of Rotterdam
Topics include:
Speaker: Antonina Firsova, Business Development Manager Hydrogen for Mobility Netherlands – Air Products Including updates on:
Short pitches highlighting regional hydrogen innovation.
Guided tour along DutcH₂ Aviation Hub partners at World Hydrogen Summit, including among others Cryoworld and ITP Interpipe.
Room: Dock 12
DutcH₂ Aviation Hub programme update on roadmap and funnel, including:
We will announce a follow-up event later this year, featuring in-depth workshops to refine the development agenda.
Short wrap-up by Cornelia Bom and Daan van Dijk with a specific milestone: Signing of the first RHIA partnership agreement: marking the commitment of the first organisation to jointly invest effort and resources in advancing the DutcH₂ Aviation Hub development agenda.
Connect with partners, innovators and international delegates at the World Hydrogen Summit.
It is no longer possible to register for this event via the registration system. If you would still like to attend, please send an email to communicatie@stichtingrhia.nl and we can check if there are still spots available.
This event is supported by:
