The Port of Rotterdam, with the cluster of companies active here and in cooperation with exporting countries, could supply Northwest Europe with at least 4.6 million tonnes of hydrogen by 2030. This is much more than what was expected to date.
The use of 4.6 million tonnes of hydrogen is equivalent to 46 million tonnes of CO2 reduction and increases the energy independence of Europe. The Port of Rotterdam comes to this calculation of 4.6 million tonnes on the basis of concrete projects and realistic plans that companies and exporting countries are now working on.
On behalf of some seventy companies and exporting countries, the Port of Rotterdam Authority made this offer to European Commissioner Frans Timmermans to ensure a flying start with the hydrogen economy. The plans and projects are a concrete expression of the more stringent European ambition: within the framework of “RepowerEU”, a four-fold increase in the production and import of hydrogen is in view compared to “Fit for 55” (from 5.6 million tonnes to 20 million tonnes). The hydrogen can be used to make society more sustainable, particularly as a transport fuel and in industry.
‘Use of sustainable hydrogen contributes substantially to the European goals of limiting climate change and increasing Europe’s energy independence. With the production and import of green hydrogen we are building a sustainable future,’ says Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
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Certification and price
According to the seventy parties that have endorsed the offer, two preconditions are crucial for getting the hydrogen economy up and running quickly. The first is the certification of hydrogen: green hydrogen imported from outside Europe must be recognised as green here.
The second is closing the financial gap between the use of grey and the use of green energy and hydrogen. For as long as energy produced from fossil fuels is cheaper than renewable energy, the production and use of green hydrogen will not gain the momentum needed to meet European targets.
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Hydrogen
Hydrogen is an alternative to using oil and natural gas as energy and as a raw material. Many companies are working on projects to produce hydrogen with green electricity in Northwest Europe or to do so where there is more sun, wind and space. All over the world, countries are preparing for these new energy flows. Hydrogen produced in, for example, Latin America or Australia, can be shipped efficiently and on a large scale to Rotterdam, where it can be processed and transported to the hinterland.
