HPC secures spot in ‘key’ project for maritime industry’s next decade

Maritime consultancy HPC Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) has been awarded a contract to manage project coordination and financial oversight for the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2021-2027 funded initiative “H2-Derivatives@BalticSeaPorts” (H2Deri@BSP).

This ambitious project, led by the Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM), will run from March 2025 to February 2028 and aims to drive the adoption of hydrogen-based derivatives as cargo and maritime fuels across Baltic Sea ports.

The transition to low- or zero-carbon fuels such as methanol and ammonia is said to be critical for achieving sustainable shipping and energy supply within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). However, port authorities, terminal operators, maritime fuel providers, and energy suppliers face significant knowledge and operational gaps.

H2Deri@BSP addresses these challenges by developing market forecasts, investment models, bunkering technologies, berth mapping, and safety regulations to facilitate the handling of hydrogen derivatives.

As the selected contractor, HPC will oversee project coordination and financial management.

“This project is fundamental for the maritime industry’s next decade, enabling ports to handle sustainable energy carriers and support alternative fuel bunkering,” Stefan Breitenbach, Head of Project Department at Port of Hamburg Marketing, remarked.

“It also strengthens the Port of Hamburg’s integration within the Baltic region. With HPC as an experienced partner, we are confident that the project will deliver on its promises.”

“We are proud to support our partners on this journey to advance alternatives to fossil fuels. HPC’s role combines decades of project development and coordination experience with a profound understanding of port operations and sustainability issues,” Hartmut Beyer, Head of Co-Funding Management at HPC, added.

A comprehensive Baltic Sea partnership

H2Deri@BSP is a collaborative effort led by the Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM). The initiative brings together 15 project partners from seven Baltic Sea Region countries, including public port authorities, energy providers, and liquid bulk terminal operators.

Additionally, the project is supported by 23 associated organizations with diverse competencies, all contributing to addressing the challenges of green hydrogen derivatives.

This diverse consortium aims to collaboratively develop solutions to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen derivatives, showcasing proofs of concept and creating a scalable roadmap for green energy transformation in ports.

The results of the project will be disseminated widely to ensure applicability across EU regions, facilitating the transition to sustainable energy systems both landside and seaside and contributing to significant CO2 reductions.

HPC played a pivotal role in developing the project proposal in collaboration with the project partners, securing EU funding, and successfully winning the competitive public tender for project management.

H2Deri@BSP exemplifies how collaborative efforts can lay the foundation for a zero-emission future in maritime transport, according to HPC.

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