Rotterdam, September 22, 2026 — Fieldlab Industrial Electrification (FLIE) officially opened its new pilot facility at SubZero in Rotterdam today. The opening brought together 100 representatives from industry, government, academia, and the innovation ecosystem. At the same time, FLIE announced its first three pilot projects, which will test various Power-to-X and electrification technologies in a real-world industrial setting.

With the new pilot facility, FLIE now has a physical testing environment where technology providers, industrial companies, energy companies, and research institutions can develop, test, and validate technologies under real-world conditions. In doing so, FLIE focuses on the transition from technological development to industrial application.

The pilot facility is located at SubZero in the Merwe-Vierhavens area (M4H) in Rotterdam and provides space for pilots involving, among other things, electrification, hydrogen, and Power-to-X technologies. The facilities are geared toward technologies in an advanced stage of development, with the goal of accelerating the transition to large-scale industrial application.

“With the opening of this pilot facility, we’re giving the Power-to-X ecosystem in South Holland a physical space to actually test ideas. That’s exactly what it’s all about: moving from practice-oriented research to industrial-scale application.”— Auke Ferwerda, FLIE partner on behalf of Platform Zero

During the opening, the development of the Power-to-X industry took center stage in a panel discussion featuring representatives from the government, research institutions, and Rotterdam’s business community. Led by moderator Mare Straetmans, founder of Platform Zero, the discussion focused on where electrification and Power-to-X can already be applied in industry, what challenges companies face in making the transition from demonstration to industrial application, and what role the innovation ecosystem in South Holland and Rotterdam can play in this process.

“The harbour of Rotterdam is a large carbon emitter, which makes this a great challenge. A facility such as FLIE can really make an impact here!”— Marco van Steekelenburg, Province of South Holland, Energy Transition Team

“This is a complex issue and there is no golden bullet. We need to test and validate many innovations.”— Mark Stoelinga, Port of Rotterdam Authority, Director Energy

“Be aware that this initiative creates international interest. People worldwide are looking at us — this is a great place to realize pilot projects.”— Monalisa Goswami, TNO, Head of BD Power-to-X portfolio, Chair VoltaChem

Announcement of the First Three Pilot Projects

The opening also marks the start of the first three pilot projects in the FLIE pilot hall. FlowVolta, ZEF, Equans and TNO will each be working on a different technology and application:

• FlowVolta is testing the next generation of electrolyser systems that can operate flexibly based on the availability of renewable energy.
• ZEF is testing a Direct Air Capture (DAC) system for capturing CO₂ from the air, which will be integrated into a system for producing alternative fuels.
• Equans is testing various usage profiles on an Inocel fuel cell. The pilot investigates how the fuel cell performs under different operational conditions for applications in industrial and maritime energysystems.
• TNO is installing a commercial electrolyzer at FLIE to learn how electrolyzers can be successfully integrated into an industrial environment. The project will provide practical experience with hydrogen production, storage, utility integration, and the connection to Power-to-X technologies.

About FLIE

Fieldlab Industrial Electrification (FLIE) provides a real-world environment in which industrial end users, energy companies, technology firms, and research institutions collaborate to accelerate industrial electrification. By testing and validating technologies under real-world conditions, developing business cases, and sharing knowledge, FLIE supports companies in making the transition from technological development to industrial application.

FLIE is an initiative of TNO, FME, the Port of Rotterdam Authority, InnovationQuarter, Platform Zero, and Deltalinqs, and is made possible in part by the Provincie Zuid-Holland.

Source：FuelCellsWorks