The Netherlands/Australia – The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) have confirmed their desire to form a broad coalition to enhance hydrogen imports from Australia via the port of Rotterdam.
An agreement for collaboration in this area had already been signed earlier this year by the Dutch and Australian ministries for climate and energy.
Members of this partnership are now moving forward with the construction of the TrHyHub joint hydrogen hub in Western Australia. Creating a brand-new, cutting-edge port industrial complex for the massive production of hydrogen for both domestic and international markets is one of the main goals. Twenty or so businesses from the three nations have expressed a desire to participate.
Linking hydrogen hubs
The Australian hydrogen hub and supply chain to the German hinterland will be developed by integrating the technology, knowledge, and expertise of the government, industry, and the German knowledge institute. To facilitate a quicker start to hydrogen exports to northwest Europe, for instance, they will be looking into the idea of jointly building an offshore export terminal as part of the new port. The collaborative project between Rotterdam and the Australian port is in line with Rotterdam’s goal of becoming into a centre for hydrogen in northwest Europe.
The following four areas are where the Dutch and Australian governments have shown a desire to collaborate. This is a goal that both Fraunhofer and the Port Authority are dedicated to achieving.
The first partners in the Oakajee initiative, which permits imports from Western Australia, are the Port of Rotterdam and Fraunhofer.
Energy security
The Netherlands and Germany have a common goal of strengthening their energy security and autonomy from Russia. Both nations seek to hasten the switch to green hydrogen from imported coal and oil, which are now delivered to significant portions of Germany via the port of Rotterdam.
Due to its ideal wind and solar power generation conditions, the Oakajee Strategic Industrial Area (SIA) has the potential to become one of Australia’s or maybe the world’s greatest hydrogen-producing locations. For the three participating nations, this agreement to build the hydrogen hub provides both business opportunities and the potential to hasten sustainability. Green hydrogen may be used in the transportation and industrial sectors to cut carbon emissions, which is why parties from the three nations have already signed a number of agreements for continued collaboration. The existing arrangements are a result of a collaborative feasibility study called the HySupply study that looked at the possibilities and requirements for importing hydrogen from Australia.
