The Badger Company Featured in September Edition of Europoort Kringen: Hydrogen Projects Ready for Takeoff

We are proud to announce that The Badger Company is featured in the September edition of Europoort Kringen with an article titled "Hydrogen: Ready for Implementation!" In this detailed piece, our directors, Peter Klaassen and Barry van Zwet, discuss the exciting future of hydrogen projects and The Badger Company's role in this growing sector.

The article explores the steps we have taken to prepare for large-scale hydrogen projects, with insights into our recent expansion into Portugal, where green energy availability has accelerated the development of hydrogen infrastructure. Peter and Barry highlight how our experience with storage, transport, and (petro)chemical industries positions us to contribute to the hydrogen sector, both in the Netherlands and internationally.

At The Badger Company, we’re not only ready for hydrogen—we’ve already been actively involved in projects such as the Shell hydrogen initiative and ammonia storage for a terminal in Vlissingen. With our diverse team of engineers, and the support of our sister company A1 Werkplan, we are well-prepared to help bring hydrogen projects to life.

To read the full article, check out the latest edition of Europoort Kringen.

Link to Dutch article: https://www.europoortkringen.nl/1976007/

Below the translation of the article in English:

Hydrogen: Ready for Implementation!
The ideas, sketches, and preliminary design concepts have been around for years. Now, we are deep into feasibility studies and subsidy applications. But when will we take that crucial next step toward realization? When will hydrogen truly take off on a large scale?

Text: Kim de Booij

Unfortunately, this article won't provide you with that answer. However, there is a reassuring note: we are ready for implementation! At least, that's the case at the engineering firm The Badger Company. Director and project manager Peter Klaassen eagerly awaits the real start of hydrogen projects. "As an engineering firm, our focus in hydrogen projects is mainly on the technical execution. We leave the preliminary exploratory phases, studies, and subsidy processes to the larger firms."

Bigger Than You Think
Klaassen might be underselling The Badger Company, making it seem smaller than it actually is. "We are indeed larger than you might think. Here in the Netherlands, Barry van Zwet and I are active in project management. Two people may not sound like much, but we have sixty colleagues, all of them experienced engineers. They work from Romania and, more recently, from our new location in Portugal."

The Sun Shines in Portugal
The advantage of the new location is that hydrogen projects in Portugal are already taking off. "The big difference lies in the availability of green energy," says Barry van Zwet, co-director and project leader. "In Portugal, the sun shines much more, and there is still space for solar farms. Additionally, they are pushing harder for the development of hydrogen stations and are first in line for subsidies."

The Experience is There
The experience The Badger Company is now gaining in Portugal will be invaluable when the time comes for similar projects in the Netherlands. "We have the hydrogen expertise in-house through our Portuguese colleagues, both through experience and education. Barry and I can easily tap into that knowledge in the Netherlands. But first, companies here need to finalize their business cases," says Klaassen. "That's the tricky part with hydrogen: it’s not a naturally occurring resource. You need energy to produce hydrogen, and green energy is relatively scarce here."

Hydrogen is Only Part of the Solution
"That’s why we shouldn’t focus only on hydrogen; it's just one part of the solution," adds Van Zwet. "You have to keep the ultimate goal—CO2 reduction—in mind and consider the full range of solutions. This means continuing to develop more efficient engines, better combustion, and alternative (bio)fuels."

Every Solution is a Challenge
The Badger Company is well-versed in handling various solutions. Van Zwet: "Every solution has its own challenges. With hydrogen, it's the availability of green energy, as well as the storage and transportation methods. Hydrogen needs to be stored under high pressure, at extremely low temperatures, or in relatively dangerous substances like ammonia. With biofuel, you might not expect such issues, but even there, you deal with aggressive, corrosive substances. Moreover, in biofuel, maintaining the right temperature is crucial due to the wax content often present."

A Small Step to Hydrogen
Thanks to years of experience with projects in the (petro)chemical industry and at tank terminals, Klaassen and Van Zwet are ready for the step to hydrogen storage and transportation. Klaassen: "We’ve done everything related to storage. From there, it’s a small step to hydrogen and hydrogen carriers." Van Zwet adds: "We’ve even completed an ammonia project, for a tank terminal in Vlissingen. And in the early hydrogen projects, like at Shell, we’ve already been involved, for example, designing around the cooling water pumps."

Bring it On
So, let the large-scale rollout of hydrogen projects come. "We are ready," says Klaassen. "And our sister company, A1 Werkplan, is ready too. In the past, we mainly provided pipefitters and welders through them, but today 30% of them are electricians. With such a diverse team, about seventy professionals, we can provide enough manpower for the realization of both small and large hydrogen projects."

The Badger Company
Although The Badger Company is a large engineering firm with around 60 engineers, its office in the Netherlands has only two main faces: project managers Barry van Zwet and Peter Klaassen. This two-person team prides itself on its practical and flexible approach. Klaassen: "We don’t unnecessarily set up a whole project team if all that’s needed is a simple drawing. And we don’t force our own templates and processes on clients if they prefer their own methods. We adapt."

Portugal
Last year, The Badger Company expanded to a location in Portugal. This choice wasn’t random. Through its sister company A1 Werkplan, they already had good experiences with Portuguese technicians for recruitment and temporary assignments. So, when they explored expansion options, Portugal caught their attention. The fact that they, like in Romania, can achieve an attractive price-to-quality ratio there, sealed the deal.

2024-10-01 - The Badger Company