Last week, the Port of Rotterdam received a large delegation from the Chinese province of Hebei, which is developing a large new port to handle energy-related bulk goods in particular, including 400 million tonnes of coal.
The main port of the province is Qinghuangdao, which handles some 200 million tonnes of coal each year. By comparison, Rotterdam is the largest European coal port, with a throughput of 27 million tonnes.
The aim is for Qinghuangdao to become the first ‘Greenport’ in northern China. Hebei and the province of Zuid-Holland are working together in a co-development program.
The Chinese are therefore particularly interested in the way in which the environment and the economy can be combined in Rotterdam. Specific projects the delegation was introduced to included:
* Construction of new low-emission coal-fired power stations, capture and transport of COs and the reduction in greenhouse gases in general (Rotterdam Climate Initiative).
* Integration of LNG terminals from a safety and commercial point of view in a busy port.
* Bringing together a large number of new biofuel plants with existing tank storage and pipeline structure.
The main port of the province is Qinghuangdao, which handles some 200 million tonnes of coal each year. By comparison, Rotterdam is the largest European coal port, with a throughput of 27 million tonnes.
The aim is for Qinghuangdao to become the first ‘Greenport’ in northern China. Hebei and the province of Zuid-Holland are working together in a co-development program.
The Chinese are therefore particularly interested in the way in which the environment and the economy can be combined in Rotterdam. Specific projects the delegation was introduced to included:
* Construction of new low-emission coal-fired power stations, capture and transport of COs and the reduction in greenhouse gases in general (Rotterdam Climate Initiative).
* Integration of LNG terminals from a safety and commercial point of view in a busy port.
* Bringing together a large number of new biofuel plants with existing tank storage and pipeline structure.