Belgian and German ports forge green hydrogen alliance

September 9, 2022, by Ajsa Habibic

Belgian Port of Antwerp-Bruges and German duisport have signed a long-term cooperation agreement in the areas of the energy transition, including hydrogen supply chain, hinterland connections and infrastructure.

The development of solutions for the import, storage and distribution of green hydrogen in various forms is one of the main strategic pillars of the cooperation between the two ports.

The goal is to build an international supply chain for hydrogen in which both partners become central hydrogen hubs for Europe.

To achieve this goal, duisport and Port of Antwerp-Bruges will work to establish a high-frequency rail shuttle in addition to planned pipeline connections and establish rail as a “rolling pipeline”.

As both ports aim for climate neutrality by 2050, the development of environmentally friendly port handling equipment is also part of the joint agreement.

For duisport, the cooperation with Port of Antwerp-Bruges is said to be another important step in the expansion of its future network.

The German port concluded similar agreements with the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam in May and June this year.

“Our ports have a key role in their regions as leading logistics and industrial centres and are already linked by various multimodal connections. Against the background of the current global challenges, it is only logical that we sustainably strengthen our European partner network and cooperate even more closely”, said duisport’s CEO Markus Bangen.

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, added: “The import, transmission and distribution of green molecules needs short, mid and long-term solutions. Developing a robust multimodal supply system will be fundamental to make the change happen. And we are pleased that duisport and Port of Antwerp-Bruges are combining forces to that end.”

Port of Antwerp-Bruges will be home to a 100-megawatt green hydrogen plant which will be built by American hydrogen company Plug Power. The plant will produce up to 12,500 tonnes per year of liquid and gaseous green hydrogen for the European market, starting in 2025.

The port also became a founding member of the German green hydrogen foundation H2Global which is expected to play a key role in the energy transition.