Air Products to expand Rotterdam plant to include blue hydrogen production
Air Products, a US-based hydrogen producer, is expanding its hydrogen plant in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The expansion will include the construction of a carbon capture and carbon dioxide treatment facility, allowing the production of blue hydrogen.
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Hydrogen is produced by breaking down water molecules through a variety of different methods. Depending on the method and emissions, the hydrogen is classified as blue, green or other colours.
Blue Hydrogen is typically produced through steam methane reforming (SMR) or autothermal reforming (ATR), where natural gas is converted into hydrogen. During this process, carbon dioxide (CO2) is released as a byproduct.
To be classified as blue hydrogen, the CO2 emissions must be captured and stored in underground rock formations that trap the gas and prevent it from being released into the atmosphere.
Air Products currently operates a hydrogen liquefaction plant in Boltek, with a capacity of 300 mt/day, Air Products’ spokesperson told ENGINE. The carbon capture and carbon dioxide treatment facility will be installed at its existing plant in Boltek, where it will capture CO2 from the plant and ExxonMobil’s Rotterdam refinery.
However, the spokesperson was unwilling to share details on how much blue hydrogen the company aims to produce. The carbon capture facility is expected to begin operations in 2026 and the captured CO2 will be transported to depleted natural gas fields in the North Sea, where it will be permanently stored three kilometres below the seabed.
The company claims that this will be the largest blue hydrogen production plant in Europe and expects to supply the product to ExxonMobil's refinery and other customers on Air Products' hydrogen pipeline network. It will also link to the Porthos system, a consortium building the Netherlands' first large-scale CO2 transport and storage system.
By Debarati Bhattacharjee
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