Alderman Victor Everhardt of Economic Affairs for the City of Amsterdam announced the launch of the Hydrogen Hub at the 3rd World Hydrogen Congress in Rotterdam which took place this week. The project will be developed in the Amsterdam North Sea Canal Area where major players in industry are joining forces to accelerate the hydrogen energy transition.
“It is our initiative to create a hydrogen hub in this region, in cooperation with industrial and governmental parties. Previously, there have already been a lot of individual initiatives, but what we have done now is to connect them to create an ecosystem.”
Ingrid Post, Director Energy Transition North Sea Canal Area
Largest wind park in the world to generate hydrogen power
Dutch hydrogen leader Vattenfall is currently constructing the largest wind park in the world in the North Sea which will be used to generate power required.
“We want to produce hydrogen in a clean way and that’s only possible when there is enough wind electricity available. The green hydrogen energy that Vattenfall is producing is intended to be used for industry or heavy road trucks to facilitate their decarbonisation,”
Ruud Stevens, Hydrogen Project Manager of Vattenfall
Tata Steel to switch from coal to hydrogen
Tata Steel has announced it will pursue the hydrogen route in IJmuiden and undertake a detailed assessment in this regard. This involves the introduction of direct reduced iron (DRI) technology which can make iron using natural gas or hydrogen, before it is converted to steel in one or more electric furnaces to be invested in the future.
The company has already stated its ambition in IJmuiden to reduce CO2 emissions by five million tonnes a year by 2030 and has been exploring various technological options to achieve this, including the capture and storage of CO2 or a hydrogen route. External experts assessed that both options are technically feasible according to a joint study by Tata Steel and FNV, the Dutch trade union.
Amsterdam’s first hydrogen refuelling station
The news follows an announcement from last year where The Dutch capital’s first hydrogen refuelling station is set to launch at the Port of Amsterdam. The station will be open 24/7, welcoming motorists and truck drivers to refuel. Construction of the station, which will be built by Holthausen Energy Points (HEP) and located on Australiëhavenweg, will begin this spring.
A €500,000 grant from the City of Amsterdam is helping to finance the new station. The City will also be its first customer, using the facility to refill hydrogen fuel cell engines in some of its vehicles. In a press release, Marieke van Doorninck, City of Amsterdam alderperson for air quality and sustainability, said: “Hydrogen-powered vehicles do not emit air pollutants such as nitrogen and particulate matter and contribute to clean air…[and] hydrogen produced with green power is also climate neutral…We want the municipal fleet to be emission-free by 2030. Hydrogen is the perfect solution for our heavy-duty vehicles.”
HEP also received a grant to help it build the station through the DKTI-Transport scheme, which encourages companies to pursue innovation focused on climate technologies and transport. The scheme also supports the creation of green transport solutions, including electric vehicles, biofuel-powered aircraft and low-emission shipping solutions.
Bringing sustainability to logistics and transport
The Port of Amsterdam believes hydrogen will play a key role in helping cities and countries achieve climate targets in the years ahead. It says easy access to hydrogen will also allow companies operating in the port to make their logistics and transport systems more sustainable and use hydrogen when producing various fuels and chemicals.
Additionally, the port has teamed up with chemical company Nouryon and Tata Steel for the H2ermes project, which will allow for the large-scale production of green hydrogen using wind power from the North Sea.
Sources:
Date of publication: 15 September 2021
https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/business/news-and-insights/news/2020/hydrogen-refuelling-station
Date of publication: 30 January 2020
Date of publication: 31 August 2021
