Rotterdam rises hydrogen production capacity
Hydrogen production capacity in the port of Rotterdam is to be substantially expanded. The French company Air Liquide is investing € 160 million in a factory that can produce 130,000 tonnes a year, on the Maasvlakte. This will be used mainly to supply the new neighbouring Neste biodiesel plant. The rest will be transported to other locations in Northwest Europe via Air Liquide’s own network of pipelines. The factory is due to open in 2011. Air Liquide already has a hydrogen plant in the Botlek area, with an annual capacity of 30,000 tonnes. Air Products also produces hydrogen in Botlek; some 90,000 tonnes per annum.
Demand for hydrogen has increased in recent years as a result of more stringent environmental regulations. It is used in refineries to reduce the level of sulphur in fuels. In addition to this, hydrogen can be used itself to fuel vehicles. To encourage this, the municipalities of Rotterdam and Amsterdam set up a “National Hydrogen Coalition” on 20 June. Rotterdam is one of the few regions in the world to have a hydrogen infrastructure in place. There are already two hydrogen pipelines and two million people travel within a 30-kilomtere radius of these pipelines. There are currently ten petrol stations within 500 metres, which could supply hydrogen in the future. Alderman Mark Harbers of Economic Affairs is therefore a champion of trial projects. He would like to see them receive an initial budget of € 90 million. Half of this could come from the national Economic Structure Enhancing Fund and the rest primarily from market parties.
“Rotterdam is the ideal region for the development of large-scale and sustainable hydrogen applications", according to Pim Meyboom. He is Product Manager - Hydrogen with Air Products. "Rotterdam is an important centre for the supply of energy and is one of the few cities in the world with its own hydrogen infrastructure”. Air Products participates in numerous sample projects. The company has already built more than 75 filling stations to supply motorists with hydrogen. In California, for the Hydrogen Highway, and in Peking, where hydrogen buses will be used during the Olympic Games to transport the competitors and public. Recently, Air Liquide signed a contract for the construction of a hydrogen filling station in London, where ten hydrogen buses will start operating in 2010.
Rotterdam will play an important role in supplying hydrogen for this project.
Demand for hydrogen has increased in recent years as a result of more stringent environmental regulations. It is used in refineries to reduce the level of sulphur in fuels. In addition to this, hydrogen can be used itself to fuel vehicles. To encourage this, the municipalities of Rotterdam and Amsterdam set up a “National Hydrogen Coalition” on 20 June. Rotterdam is one of the few regions in the world to have a hydrogen infrastructure in place. There are already two hydrogen pipelines and two million people travel within a 30-kilomtere radius of these pipelines. There are currently ten petrol stations within 500 metres, which could supply hydrogen in the future. Alderman Mark Harbers of Economic Affairs is therefore a champion of trial projects. He would like to see them receive an initial budget of € 90 million. Half of this could come from the national Economic Structure Enhancing Fund and the rest primarily from market parties.
“Rotterdam is the ideal region for the development of large-scale and sustainable hydrogen applications", according to Pim Meyboom. He is Product Manager - Hydrogen with Air Products. "Rotterdam is an important centre for the supply of energy and is one of the few cities in the world with its own hydrogen infrastructure”. Air Products participates in numerous sample projects. The company has already built more than 75 filling stations to supply motorists with hydrogen. In California, for the Hydrogen Highway, and in Peking, where hydrogen buses will be used during the Olympic Games to transport the competitors and public. Recently, Air Liquide signed a contract for the construction of a hydrogen filling station in London, where ten hydrogen buses will start operating in 2010.
Rotterdam will play an important role in supplying hydrogen for this project.