New Hydrogen Plant in The Works for Port of Rotterdam

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The Port of Rotterdam continues its drive to become Europe's leading hub for hydrogen production by confirming a deal with power company Uniper to investigate creating a green hydrogen plant.

The companies are conducting a feasibility study into building a hydrogen plant in the Maasvlakte area on the site of one of Uniper's power plants by 2025. The plant will initially have a capacity of 100 megawatts (MW), with the aim of expanding this capacity to 500 MW. The study will be completed this summer. In making green hydrogen, renewable energy is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Renewable electricity from numerous offshore windfarms already comes ashore at Maasvlakte and Uniper said "various relevant facilities'' are already available on its site.

"The production of green hydrogen on the Uniper site fits in perfectly with the strategy of the Port Authority to make the industry more sustainable," explained Allard Castelein, chief executive officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. "Green hydrogen is a sustainable alternative for natural gas to realise high temperatures. Besides, it is an important sustainable feedstock for the chemical industry."

Andreas Schierenbeck, chief executive of Uniper, commented: "Our location at Maasvlakte is the perfect place for large-scale production of green hydrogen. This is where everything comes together: large amounts of renewable energy, the required infrastructure, and industrial customers. A better place for green hydrogen production is hardly imaginable."

Industrial Info is tracking two other major projects at the port. BP, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are aiming to construct a green hydrogen plant known as H2-Fifty, a 250 MW electrolyser operated by BP and Nouryon. Capable of producing up to 45,000 tons of green hydrogen yearly using renewable energy, it would be the largest of its kind in Europe. The green hydrogen will be piped to BP's Rotterdam refinery and replace hydrogen made from hydrocarbons to significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

Shell is part of a consortium working to build a green hydrogen hub in Rotterdam following on from a permit awarded to it and Eneco to construct the 760 MW Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind project in the North Sea. The plan is to build a 200 MW electrolyser in the Port of Rotterdam, which if given the go-ahead, will produce green hydrogen for mobility while the surplus hydrogen will be piped to Shell's Pernis refinery, in the Port of Rotterdam. A final investment decision on the electrolyser is expected this year, with commissioning planned for 2023.

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