The Dutch government has approved a four hundred and fifty million euro grant for the Netherlands' first large-scale underground hydrogen storage facility. State-owned Gasunie will build four salt caverns at Zuidwending, each holding six thousand metric tons of hydrogen. The first cavern is expected to be ready by 2031. The funding covers specific early-market risks including cushion gas costs and low initial utilisation, while Gasunie remains responsible for project execution and commercial risks.