Speech by King Willem-Alexander at the start of the high-level conference ‘Cooperating on the development of the hydrogen offshore and onshore infrastructure and green hydrogen’ in Copenhagen, Denmark
Your Majesty, ladies and gentlemen,
It’s always a great pleasure to be here in Denmark. This visit underlines once again the warm relations and strong connection between our two countries.
Your Majesty, we’ve known each other since we were both very young and I know how dedicated you have always been to sustainability and green growth. It’s wonderful to be working with you and so many partners from both our countries to really get to grips with tackling these issues. We’re all meeting here today because we need each other. Only by working together can we make the economies of our North Sea countries more sustainable.
Everyone gathered here is probably in agreement. The transition to a sustainable energy system is necessary. Inevitable even. And green hydrogen has a major role to play.
At the same time, we know that the transition is complicated in practice. Developments don’t always proceed as quickly as we had hoped. Private sector parties encounter uncertainties. Substantial investments are needed, financial resources are limited, and the international situation is unstable. In a sense, it’s a risky endeavour and there is no guarantee of immediate success.
Here in Denmark, the country of Hans Christian Andersen, there is a great temptation to look for parallels with his well-known stories.
Some observers regard the hydrogen economy as comparable to ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’. Something unreal. Something that people say they believe in, despite knowing better.
Others regard the hydrogen economy as comparable to ‘The Little Match Girl’. A story in which new matches are lit over and over again, in a spirit of hope. But a story which ends in sorrow.
However, for my part, I see parallels with Andersen’s best loved and best known story: ‘The Ugly Duckling’. I’m sure you’re all familiar with it. It’s a tale about the difficult path to adulthood. The duckling faces numerous obstacles and setbacks. His young life is tough and filled with challenges. But ultimately nature takes its course and he develops into a beautiful swan. A swan that is admired by everyone. Ultimately, he spreads his wings and flies towards a wonderful future.
That wonderful future awaits us too, provided that we stick together, even in times of adversity.
I’m impressed by Denmark’s remarkable potential as a producer and exporter of green hydrogen. Your country is one of the pioneers in this field and has big plans. But you can’t do it alone. To secure a breakthrough for green hydrogen, it’s essential that we work together.
We’ve already taken the first steps in building regional hydrogen infrastructure. And I’m proud that there are representatives of Dutch companies here today. By coming to Copenhagen, they’ve demonstrated that they believe in Danish-Dutch dynamism.
If businesses in Denmark are looking for reliable markets to sell any future surplus of green energy, then besides Germany, I would suggest also looking to the Netherlands. We expect that by 2040, at least 40 per cent – and probably more – of the hydrogen needs of our industry will have to be met by imports. The development of wind energy in the Dutch part of the North Sea is proceeding at breakneck speed, but not fast enough to meet demand.
Key players in the Dutch hydrogen sector and industry are therefore looking to strengthen relations with Denmark. By aligning demand and supply, we can also provide greater certainty about the necessary investments in production and infrastructure.
If one thing is clear about the transition we are advocating, then it’s this: we need to do this together. That means Denmark and the Netherlands must work hand in hand, in close contact with our neighbours Germany and Norway and our other European partners. We can’t achieve this without one another. That much is abundantly clear.
It’s now a matter of us, as Europeans, coordinating our strategies and plans and thinking in terms of our shared interests – because that will ultimately be of greatest benefit to all parties involved.
The European Commission agrees. I’m sure you’re familiar with the Draghi report, which addresses the need for Europe to boost its competitiveness. That report has been embraced by the Commission. Hydrogen will be a crucial element of these efforts. It will help us to safeguard our open strategic autonomy in turbulent times. Europe’s position is at stake – and with it, the future of our children.
I’m glad that you are committed to making a contribution. This gathering isn’t just about good intentions; it’s about agreeing concrete plans too. Later today, a range of partnership agreements will be signed to pave the way for new joint action.
This action will relate to ensuring that supply is aligned with demand. To developing transport and storage facilities. And to deepening our collective knowledge.
Our goal is a streamlined green energy network that connects the whole of northwestern Europe. To achieve that goal, we need everyone to play their part: government bodies, grid operators, producers and purchasers. All of us have a lot of work to do.
I would call on you not to wait for others to take action, but instead to act now, by taking the steps that you yourself are capable of. That way, we can get the transition up and running and enable Europe to spread its wings and fly towards the future.
I wish you all a successful conference. And have a wonderful time here in beautiful Copenhagen.
Thank you.