Seventeen parties have taken the first step towards a climate-neutral transport corridor between Rotterdam and Genoa. Organisations and companies have signed a declaration of intent in Arnhem to ensure that, in the future, water, road and rail transport via the so-called Rhine-Alps corridor will run on hydrogen. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is also taking part in this initiative, which is known as RH₂INE (Rhine Hydrogen Integration Network of Excellence), the company said in its release.
Freight on the transport line between the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and final destination Italy is currently almost exclusively carried on fossil fuel-based transport. The Province of South Holland, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia took the initiative to establish the first zero emission route.
RH2INE will initially focus on realising production locations for hydrogen along the Rhine between Rotterdam and Cologne. This will enable the first ten to fifteen inland tankers to run on hydrogen in the coming years.
RH₂INE currently comprises the following parties: the Province of South Holland, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Province of Gelderland, Port of Rotterdam Authority, Duisburg Port Authority RhineCargo, BCTN, EICB, Nouryon, Covestro, Air Products, Future Proof Shipping, HTS Group, NPRC, AirLiquide and Koedood.