Rotterdam to provide 4.6 mt of hydrogen by 2030

The Port of Rotterdam says it can, with companies, supply Northwestern Europe with 4.6 million tonnes of hydrogen annually by 2030.

The consumption of 4.6 million tonnes of hydrogen allows for 46 million tonnes of CO2 reduction. It also increases Europe’s energy independence.

This hydrogen amount is the total the Port of Rotterdam Authority has come up with on the basis of specific projects and realistic plans, which companies and exporting countries are now working on.

On behalf of some 70 companies and exporting countries, the Port of Rotterdam Authority has made European commissioner Frans Timmermans this offer on the hydrogen economy. The plans and projects represent a concrete implementation of the European ambition; within the context of REPowerEU.

This hydrogen could then be used for ensuring the sustainability of society, in particular as fuel and feedstock for transport and industry.

“Using sustainable hydrogen substantially contributes to the European objectives of reducing climate change and increasing Europe’s energy independence. With the production and import of renewable and low carbon hydrogen we build a sustainable future,” says Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

According to the parties that endorse the offer, two preconditions are crucial to get the hydrogen economy underway. The first is hydrogen certification; green hydrogen imported from outside Europe has to be certified as green here. The second precondition is closing the financial gap between the use of renewable and low carbon hydrogen and its derivatives compared to their current CO2-emitting alternatives.

This is because as long as energy made from fossil fuels is cheaper than sustainably produced energy, the latter will not get the momentum required for achieving the European objectives.

Hydrogen is an alternative to oil and natural gas as energy and as raw material. Many companies are working on projects to produce H2 in Northwestern Europe with green power.

Countries all over the world are preparing for this as well. Hydrogen made in Latin America or Australia for instance can be shipped to Rotterdam on a large scale, processed here, and then transported to the hinterland.