Resato Hydrogen Technology are driving zero emission mobility

The future of mobility is Made in TopDutch. Across three sites in the city of Assen, a growing team of ambitious talents are busy designing, building and exporting hydrogen refueling stations for Europe’s next generation of transport. From trucks to trains, cars to busses, Resato’s hydrogen technology is fueling the energy transition.

Founded in 1991, Resato have had over thirty years of experience in high pressure technology. Having conquered markets in sectors from the oil and gas industry to waterjets, in 2016 they noted the role they could play in the Northern Netherlands’ emerging green hydrogen cluster. At the time, there were very few hydrogen-fueled vehicles on the roads, but that’s a market that can’t be grown without the right infrastructure in place. “We have the right mentality in the TopDutch region,” says CEO Rob Castien, “Work hard, play hard, no-nonsense, let’s get the job done”. Two years later Resato’s first public hydrogen refueling station was opened.

Now, Resato Hydrogen Technology offer a solution for just about anybody who’s ready to transition their commute. For businesses, taxi firms or governments who want a hydrogen-fueled fleet of company cars, the H2Refuel Fleet Owner Station offers a private pump to charge their fleet on-site. These are the most budget-friendly solution and offer flexibility to refuel in, for example, the company carpark but take a little longer to refuel than pumping petrol.

For private drivers who want the more typical experience of pumping gas on-route to their next stop, the public Full Sized Station can be found on the side of the road, looks just like a typical petrol station, and both passenger cars and trucks can be in-and-out in minutes. It’s solutions like this - as well as their Ultra High Capacity (up to 11,400KG per day) station for whole fleets of busses, cars, and trucks – that have the potential to truly disrupt the zero-emission mobility industry.

We are excited to be in the TopDutch region because we have the connections to the right educational institutions, access to oil and gas labor force that we can really work with and we have the right mentality in the region.

Rob Castien, CEO Resato Hydrogen Technology

Switching gases

The Northern Netherlands have had a long and complicated relationship with gas. In 1959, the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) discovered Europe’s largest natural gas field in the region, sparking the Dutch and subsequently the North-West European gas markets. But the shallow extraction depths causing earthquakes - and the need to end our reliance on fossil fuels - meant the TopDutch region set themselves a new challenge: Build a new economy fueled by green energy. In particular, the inherent natural resources, and existing energy infrastructure, skills and knowledge made TopDutch the natural location for a green hydrogen cluster, and we’ll see $10 billion of investment to build it by 2030.

“Being in the TopDutch region really helps us with [our] transition,” explained Castien. “We have a skilled oil and gas labor force, but that is going down with the closing of the gas fields. That means that they can work with us, they have the right skill set. We also have a big support from politics, from the government. They see the need to change and they’re helping high tech companies like ourselves to grow”.

Located in the first hydrogen valley

Beyond industry, the Northern Netherlands is also transitioning its energy education. “One of the big advantages for us to be in the region that we are is that we have the right schooling and educational centers here,” says Rob Castien. Here, you’ll find the best knowledge cluster dedicated to the energy transition, and 17,000 vocational, applied science and research university students are trained for a role in the energy system per annum, and graduate into workforce ready to change the world. “We are located in the first hydrogen valley of Europe, meaning that we have a lot of companies and educational institutions that are busy with hydrogen and that also helps us,” he continues.

Enough space to lead the transition

Resato a ready to take on the world from the TopDutch region. “At Resato Hydrogen Technology we have more than 30 years’ experience in high pressure technology, and with that high pressure technology we build the best hydrogen refueling stations of the world,” explains Castien. “With that we want to be firstly a top-3 player in Europe - thus enhancing and accelerating the energy transition - and then we want to spread our wings and go to North America and Asia”.

We have room in this area, to grow and to live. We have the right education centers and companies that are motivated to do the energy transition, but also government who is really stimulating it. So, come and join us!

Rob Castien, CEO Resato Hydrogen Technology

To that end, they’re scaling up rapidly. Resato’s Hydrogen Technology business unit alone will have 110 employees by the end of the 2023. Having secured deals for fleets across Europe – including two major collaborations with Germany’s APEX group to build hydrogen refueling stations for trains and busses – the company are ready to expand again, and will move into their new factory in the TopDutch region in 2026. "TopDutch is great!” Rob Castien concludes. “We have room in this area, to grow and to live. We have the right education centers and companies that are motivated to do the energy transition, but also government who is really stimulating it. So, come and join us!”