Technology company RIFT has selected the Port of Rotterdam as the site for the development of a commercial production facility for circular iron fuel. To enable this, a reservation agreement has been signed for a plot at the Margriethaven on the Maasvlakte.
In the electrified production facility, iron oxide (rust) is converted into circular iron fuel using hydrogen with a low CO2 footprint. This fuel can be used by industrial clients to generate heat and steam, without direct CO2 emissions at the point of use. The spent fuel is then reprocessed centrally.
RIFT is a technology‑scale-up developing this technology specifically for industrial heat processes that are challenging to make sustainable through electrification alone.
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Connection to Rotterdam region
RIFT sees Rotterdam as a suitable location to move from development to implementation. ‘A few years ago, InnovationQuarter joined RIFT as an investor, strengthening our connection to the Rotterdam region,’ says Mark Verhagen, CEO and co-founder of RIFT. ‘Building on that relationship, this agreement allows us to further explore how iron fuel technology could become part of the industrial landscape in Rotterdam.’
According to RIFT, the Port of Rotterdam is a logical place to continue building. The region combines many of the elements needed to bring industrial innovation into practice: infrastructure, logistics, industrial demand, and increasing availability of low-carbon hydrogen. More broadly, it also reflects the strength of the Dutch industrial and innovation ecosystem, where companies, governments, investors, and knowledge institutions increasingly work together to accelerate the energy transition.
Also read: Why iron could be a suitable future marine fuel
Operational in 2031
Over the coming period, RIFT and the Port of Rotterdam Authority will work together on the further refinement and integration of the facility. RIFT expects the production facility to become operational around 2031.
Image: Iron fuel production process (image by RIFT).
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