The Netherlands – By 2030, the Port of Rotterdam and its cluster of companies can supply 4.6 million tonnes of hydrogen to Northwestern Europe in collaboration with exporting countries.
The use of 4.6 million tonnes of hydrogen results in a reduction of 46 million tonnes of CO2 and increases Europe’s energy independence. This is the total amount of hydrogen that the Port of Rotterdam Authority has calculated based on specific projects and realistic plans that companies and exporting countries are currently developing.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority has made this offer to European Commissioner Frans Timmermans on behalf of some 70 companies and exporting countries. The plans and projects represent a tangible manifestation of Europe’s increased ambition: in comparison to the ‘Fit for 55’ package, a fourfold increase in hydrogen production and import is expected under REPowerEU. This hydrogen could then be used to ensure society’s long-term viability, such as as a fuel and feedstock for transportation and industry.
Two preconditions, according to the 70 parties who have signed on to the offer, are required to get the hydrogen economy off the ground. The first is hydrogen certification: green hydrogen from outside Europe must be certified as green in this country. The second precondition is to close the financial gap between using renewable and low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives versus current CO2-emitting alternatives. This is because, as long as fossil-fuel-derived energy is cheaper than sustainably produced energy, the latter will lack the momentum needed to meet European goals.
New energy
Hydrogen is an energy and raw material alternative to oil and natural gas. Many companies are working on projects to produce hydrogen using green energy in Northwestern Europe or at locations with more sunlight, wind, and space. Countries around the world are getting ready for these new energy flows. Hydrogen produced in Latin America or Australia, for example, can be efficiently and on a large scale shipped to Rotterdam, processed, and then transported to the hinterland.
