Rotterdam aims to supply 4.6 million mt/year of hydrogen by 2030
The Port of Rotterdam together with exporting countries and around 70 companies have proposed to supply northwest Europe with 4.6 million mt/year of hydrogen by 2030.
PHOTO: Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans (left) with chief executive of the Port of Rotterdam Allard Castelein. Port of Rotterdam
The port authority claims that replacing fossil fuels with this volume of hydrogen could curb carbon dioxide emissions by 46 million mt and contribute to mitigate climate change. It can also boost Europe's energy independence.
It projects hydrogen supply will increase through a combination of imports and new local production and has presented this proposal to European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans.
Imports from Australia, Latin America and other places with great access to renewable energy for hydrogen production could reach 4 million mt by 2030.
Local production capacity is estimated to be ramped up to around 600,000 mt. Many companies have embarked on projects to produce green hydrogen in northwest Europe. More sunshine, wind and space is required to scale these, the port authority says.
It also plans to build a pipeline to supply hydrogen from Rotterdam to industrial clusters and filling stations, to fuel barges and trucks.
As preconditions for the project to be sustainable, it says the imported hydrogen must be produced from renewable energy sources, and that the price gap between this green hydrogen and other carbon emitting alternatives has to narrow to make it financially viable.
