Port of Rotterdam develops site for green hydrogen plant

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has announced that it is developing an 11-hectare site on the Maasvlakte suitable for the construction of a large green hydrogen plant.

This site comes as preparation for the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm tender later this year.

The formal tender process will start in the second half of 2023 with various parties having already indicated their interest, the Port of Rotterdam reported.

The Port Authority will reserve 11 hectares on the Maasvlakte exclusively for the party that wins the tender and wants to produce green hydrogen on a large scale in Rotterdam.

This site offers space for up to 1 gigawatt of electrolysis and is located next to where Tennet’s Amaliahaven (380 Kilovolt) high-voltage substation will be built.

This is the destination of the 2-gigawatt DC cable from the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone Beta.

The Minister for Climate and Energy announced the draft ministerial regulations for IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone Beta in late March.

It will have a capacity of 2 gigawatts and is expected to be completed around 2028.

The production of hydrogen directly on the coast helps avoid additional load on the high-voltage network, according to the Port of Rotterdam.

The wind farm and hydrogen plant are expected to be operational for 2028.

Several companies have plans to realise a total of some 1,350 megawatt (1.35 gigawatt) of electrolysis in Rotterdam.

The ambition of the Port Authority is to achieve 2 to 2.5 gigawatt of electrolysis by 2030.

The port is exploring the possibility of connecting the Maasvlakte hydrogen plants to regional heat networks. This will eventually allow them to use ‘green’ heat to heat houses, greenhouses, and offices reported the Port of Rotterdam.

In order to allocate the site for hydrogen production, the Port Authority is consulting with the municipality and DCMR on amending the zoning plan. The site is currently zoned for container storage.

This announcement comes on the same week that Advario, a Dutch-based renewable energy company, announced plans to develop a cutting-edge energy storage terminal in the Port of Rotterdam.

Additionally, German energy provider, Onyx Power, announced its plans to build a hydrogen production plant at its existing site in the Port of Rotterdam to produce low carbon blue hydrogen.