From Plans to Execution: Willemien Terpstra on Building Europe’s Hydrogen Future 

The energy transition is entering a new phase. 

That was the central message delivered by Willemien Terpstra, CEO of Gasunie, during her keynote at the 2026 H2A Symposium. In a presentation that connected geopolitics, industrial competitiveness, infrastructure, and market development, Terpstra argued that the question is no longer whether hydrogen will play a role in Europe’s future energy system, but whether Europe can move quickly enough to realise its potential. 

From Ambition to Execution 

Terpstra opened her keynote by reflecting on the recent completion of the first 32 kilometres of the Dutch hydrogen network in Rotterdam. More than just a piece of infrastructure, she described it as a signal that the energy transition is moving from plans and ambitions to tangible implementation. 

“Not a vision, not a roadmap and not a pilot project,” she remarked. “A real infrastructure.” 

The milestone reflects a broader shift taking place across Europe. While hydrogen was once discussed primarily as a decarbonisation tool, Terpstra argued that the conversation has expanded to include competitiveness, resilience, energy security, and industrial strength. 

Infrastructure Comes First 

A recurring theme throughout the keynote was the importance of infrastructure. 

According to Terpstra, infrastructure has always preceded market development. Railways, electricity grids, and natural gas networks were all built before demand was fully established. Hydrogen, she argued, should be no different. 

“Markets do not scale without infrastructure, industries do not invest without connectivity, and value chains do not emerge without a backbone.” 

This principle underpins Gasunie’s development of the Dutch hydrogen backbone. The network is being built not because demand is already fully in place, but because demand cannot develop without it. 

Her warning was clear: “If we wait for certainty, we will create uncertainty.” 

Don’t Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good 

Terpstra also cautioned against over-designing the hydrogen market before it has the opportunity to mature. 

While sustainability standards and clear frameworks remain important, she argued that overly restrictive rules can slow investment and limit market growth. Referencing discussions around additionality, RFNBO requirements, and hydrogen classifications, she stressed the importance of creating room for markets to develop. 

“Do we want a perfect system on paper, or do we want a system that actually works at scale?” she asked. 

Her conclusion was simple: “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” 

It Is Not Either-Or, It Is And-And 

Another key message was the need to move beyond debates that frame technologies as competing alternatives. 

Hydrogen, electrification, CCS, storage, and other solutions all have a role to play, Terpstra argued. The challenge is not choosing one over the other, but combining them effectively to accelerate decarbonisation while maintaining industrial competitiveness. 

Green hydrogen remains the long-term objective, but blue hydrogen and CCS can help create scale and reduce emissions in the near term. Similarly, electrification is essential, but cannot address every industrial application. 

Her message was consistent throughout the keynote: “It is not either-or, it is and-and.” 

Building One Northwest European Energy System 

Looking beyond individual projects, Terpstra described a future in which ports, industry, storage facilities, infrastructure networks, and import corridors function as a single Northwest European energy system. 

In this vision, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Groningen, Antwerp, Wilhelmshaven, and other hubs are not competitors but interconnected parts of a larger network. Collaboration across borders and across the value chain will be essential to achieving scale. 

The Make-It-Happen Years 

Closing her keynote, Terpstra described the current decade as the moment when hydrogen must move beyond pilots, presentations, and strategies. 

“The real question now is not, will hydrogen play a role? The real question is, will we move fast enough?” 

For Terpstra, success will depend on moving from plans to final investment decisions, from pilots to scale, and from discussion to implementation. 

As she concluded: “Years from now, people will not look back at this period as the time we talked about hydrogen. They will look back at it as the time we made it happen.”