Main dispenser at the hydrogen test filling station at the ZBT

HY-Infra – Cross-border Project to Analyse Hydrogen Infrastructure in the Meuse-Rhine Region

The ‘HY-Infra’ project is a cross-border initiative aimed at accelerating the development of hydrogen infrastructure in the Meuse-Rhine region. The project brings together partners from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany to address shared challenges related to hydrogen infrastructure, demand aggregation and hydrogen quality.

16 Mar 2026, Maastricht, NL – Hydrogen plays a key role in achieving Europe’s climate and energy objectives. The Meuse-Rhine region has a strong industrial base, logistics sector and inland shipping activities.

“However, fragmented infrastructure planning, uncertainty regarding cross border connections, and limited insight into hydrogen quality currently slow down large-scale deployment. These barriers delay scale-up, investment security, and broad adoption,” explains Stefan Neis, HY-Infra project manager at WaterstofNet. “The infrastructure in the three countries must be aligned. HY-Infra is launched now to cooperate on rollout, permitting… and to highlight regional importance and business involvement.”

Planning Infrastructure, Aggregating Demand, Securing Hydrogen Quality

HY-Infra is a cross-border project that aims to analyse the development of hydrogen infrastructure in the Meuse-Rhine region (Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany). The project addresses key barriers to large-scale hydrogen deployment, including fragmented infrastructure planning, limited aggregation of demand, and lack of knowledge on hydrogen quality in cross-border networks.

By bringing together industry, research institutions and regional authorities, HY-Infra develops an integrated analysis for infrastructure planning, demand mapping and quality assurance for the period 2026-2035.

Group photo of ten people in a meadow in front of trees and a lake; two people are holding an oversized symbolic key

Hydrogen roadmap for industry and the transport sector

HY-Infra aims to develop an integrated cross-border framework for hydrogen infrastructure planning between 2026 and 2035. Within this roadmap the focus will be on the backbone (industry) and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure (trucks, inland shipping…). The project will map regional hydrogen demand, align infrastructure plans across borders, and develop a modular roadmap for stakeholders.

Key outputs include:

a modular roadmap
a transnational database on demand and infrastructure
and innovative hydrogen quality monitoring solutions, including a mobile laboratory and testing campaigns

Mobile hydrogen qualitiy laboratory

As quality of hydrogen is important, part of the project is the development of innovative hydrogen quality monitoring solutions, including a mobile laboratory and multi-gas analysis system. These tools will support cross-border pilot activities and contribute to the establishment of a ‘Hydrogen Quality Competence Center’ at ZBT.

By strengthening cooperation between industry, small SMEs, research institutions and public authorities, HY-Infra will create a platform for companies investing in hydrogen technologies, and reinforce the Meuse-Rhine region’s position as an emerging European hydrogen innovation hub.

technical equipment for sampling at hydrogen filling stations

Knowledge exchange

The project also includes the creation of a transnational database on hydrogen demand, infrastructure planning, permits and hydrogen-quality data. As well as organizing workshops and a final conference to facilitate knowledge exchange between companies, policymakers and regional stakeholders.

HY-Infra contributes to broader European initiatives such as the EU Hydrogen Backbone, AFIR infrastructure development for transport, and the RH2INE corridor for inland shipping, ensuring that the Meuse-Rhine region plays an active role in Europe’s hydrogen transition.

From needs assessment to quality assurance

Hy-Infra delivers concrete, implementation-oriented results: an inventory of future demand (2026 – 2035), the alignment of existing infrastructure plans with regional needs and a modular blueprint including a roadmap for 2030 – 2035.

As part of the project, ZBT is setting up an “H₂ quality” competence center – with mobile sampling systems, a mobile hydrogen laboratory, regular sample campaigns (including online monitoring) and a transnational database on demand, permits and quality data.

Project information

Project title: Hydrogen Infrastructure for the Meuse-Rhine region (Hy-Infra)

Term: 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2028

Total budget: € 2.0 million, of which EU funding € 1.2 million

Project partners:

WaterstofNet (NL)
ANPLICON (DE)
POM-Limburg (BE)
Cluster Tweed (BE)
ZBT (DE)

Further cooperation (selection): HyNetwork, Fluxys, OGE, Thyssengas (Backbone), municipalities (including Maastricht, Parkstad, Aachen, Liège, Genk) and development agencies (IHKs, LIOF).

The project receives funding from the Interreg Meuse Rhine programmme. This program receives support from the European Regional Development Fund or ERDF. HY-infra also receives co-financing from the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant, the Dutch Ministry of EZK, and the Province of Wallonia.

Two people are discussing matters in front of the main control panel at the hydrogen test filling station on the ZBT hydrogen test site

Contact person

Head of Department Hydrogen Infrastructure

Dr.-Ing. Christian Spitta

+49 203 7598-4277

c.spitta@zbt.de

Media

Hydrogen technologies are being tested at system scale at the ZBT’s hydrogen test site.

Kick-off meeting for the HY-Infra project in Maastricht, the Netherlands

The Hy-SaM device can be used to take hydrogen samples at filling stations.

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