Belgium – ‘Hydrogen Valley’ status has been granted to North Sea Port, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and Port of Ostend on a European scale.
A region is given that designation if it has a whole hydrogen value chain, from production to distribution, storage, and local end usage in various industries.
The three ports each have complementing activity, giving them a distinct starting point for the development of the hydrogen economy. For instance, they combine offshore renewable energy production with industrial clusters for the manufacture of steel and chemicals, as well as energy hub activities. They serve as a gateway to a European network of inland canals, trains, pipelines, and road connections as a result of their geographic location. The “Flemish Hydrogen Ports Valley” so possesses all the necessary resources to assume a key position in the European hydrogen economy.
Low-carbon hydrogen
The development and implementation of numerous projects for the manufacture of environmentally friendly and low-carbon hydrogen and related compounds is already underway. This hydrogen will be used, among other things, in the manufacturing of steel, shipping, and road transportation, in addition to decarbonizing the current demand in the regional chemical sector. These innovative applications have already seen their first realizations in demonstrations.
A large-scale international import and transit of low-carbon molecules will soon be paired with local production to provide clean hydrogen to clients both locally and farther afield via the open-access European Hydrogen Backbone.
Regional and national network
The Hydrogen Valleys are viewed by the European Union as a powerful instrument for demonstrating how the hydrogen economy functions locally. Future connections between these regional hydrogen economies could create a continental network. In this regard, ports offer a special potential because up to 42% (22 Mt, or 730 TWh) of the EU’s total hydrogen consumption in 2050 may be found there.
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership and Mission Innovation, who maintain an online map with the key characteristics of the Hydrogen Valleys in Europe and around the world—the hydrogen valley platform—issued the “Hydrogen valley” certificate.
As organizer of the Hydrogen Industry Cluster, of which all associated ports are members, knowledge and cooperation platform WaterstofNet oversees the Flemish Hydrogen Ports Valley.
