The Netherlands – The island of Tasmania, which is southeast of Australia, has a lot of potential for exporting green hydrogen, according to a joint research by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the Tasmanian government.
Tasmania has some of the lowest costs in the world for producing green hydrogen since it can generate a significant amount of electricity from wind, a little amount from solar energy, and a balance of hydroelectric power. The cost of transportation across a greater distance is not prohibitive and is really rather low. Tasmanian hydrogen can join the supply mix and help to support the growing green hydrogen economy in the Netherlands and northwest Europe as the port in Rotterdam develops into an international distribution hub for hydrogen.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Tasmanian government with the Port of Rotterdam in December 2021 to determine whether it would be feasible to export green hydrogen to Rotterdam. Since that time, representatives from the Tasmanian government and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have been closely collaborating to investigate the potential supply chain for Tasmanian exports of green hydrogen to Rotterdam. The investigation came to the conclusion that the distance between Rotterdam and the Tasmanian port of Bell Bay is not a limiting factor.
Promising market
The relatively low cost of creating green hydrogen in Tasmania, where wind and hydroelectric power are abundant, cancels out the expense of international transit. The Bass Straight, north of Tasmania, offers promising prospects for large-scale offshore wind farms, where the nation can profit from the Dutch expertise and experience in that field. The market potential are also promising; Northwest Europe will continue to see a sharp increase in the demand for green hydrogen, enabling the sector to meet its CO2 reduction goals.
