The Port of Rotterdam, together with the province of Zuid Holland and more than 40 partners, has launched a project for near-shore, emission-free shipping with hydrogen, reports Port Technology International.
The Condor H2 project aims to facilitate the navigation of 50 emission-free vessels by 2030, with the goal of a carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction of 100,000 tons per year.
Condor H2 will provide fuel cells with a battery pack as well as hydrogen storage on a pay-as-you-go basis to allow ships to operate zero emissions with limited up-front investments for ship owners, according to a recent statement from the port.
The hydrogen will be delivered in tank containers that can be easily loaded on board the vessels and quickly changed when empty, allowing maximum flexibility for longer voyages.
The project brings together six ports and more than 40 partners, spanning the entire value chain, from hydrogen suppliers and distributors to technology providers and shipowners.
The Port of Rotterdam aims to have the first ships with the Condor H2 system sailing on the route by 2025.
The project is part of the RH2INE network, a cooperation between ports, regional governments and market parties along the Rhine corridor, which runs from Belgium and the Netherlands to Switzerland.
Condor H2 is driven by a steering group from the province of Zuid Holland, the port of Rotterdam, WaterstofNet and Rabobank.
The project is also supported by the Port of Duisburg, the Port of Amsterdam, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, along with a plethora of other industry partners.
“Hydrogen is already being tested in shipping, but the time has come to take steps to implement it on a large scale,” said Nico van Dooren, Director of New Business at the Port of Rotterdam.
“By offering a modular, scalable and affordable solution, Condor H2 will make it technically and economically feasible to switch to zero emission shipping on key shipping routes in North West Europe,” Dooren added.
This project comes a month after German energy provider Onyx Power announced plans to build a hydrogen production plant on its existing site in the Port of Rotterdam to produce low-carbon blue hydrogen.
Most recently, the Port of Rotterdam Authority announced that it is developing an 11-hectare site on the Maasvlakte suitable for the construction of a large green hydrogen plant.
Source: Port Technology International
