The Netherlands-based energy infrastructure firm VTTI has launched an open season to gauge market interest in ammonia storage and ammonia cracking capacity at its terminals in Rotterdam and Antwerp.
The open season was launched on December 9, 2024, for VTTI’s Project Amplifhy, an initiative to develop a European network of ammonia import terminals and ammonia crackers, including Rotterdam and Antwerp as “critical energy hubs” .
Under this broader initiative, Amplifhy Rotterdam and Amplifhy Antwerp have received the status of Project of Common Interest from the European Commission while VTTI is actively developing other locations.
Amplifhy Rotterdam entails a phased development of four ammonia cracking facilities and associated ammonia tankage. FEED studies for the Project are co-funded by the European Commission through the Cross-Border Renewable Energy Studies program.
The project at VTTI’s terminal in Antwerp (ATPC) also entails a phased development of multiple ammonia cracking facilities and associated tankage.
The open season, which is said to support the growth of Europe’s hydrogen market by aligning infrastructure with market needs, is one of the steps in the development of the project.
The deadline for the interested parties to participate in the process by submitting a non-binding expression of interest is set for February 28, 2025.
Next to the open season, VTTI is preparing to have further discussions with key stakeholders of the project, with a formal participatory process for those stakeholders to follow in the course of 2025.
Guy Moeyens , CEO of VTTI, said: “Hydrogen is central to the energy transition, and the strategic location of our terminals in Rotterdam and Antwerp give us unparalleled potential to lead in this space. With the launch of this Open Season, we are taking a bold step towards creating a hydrogen hub that will drive Europe’s decarbonization goals and empower a sustainable energy future.”