A new initiative that attempts to develop a hydrogen export route via a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) from Scotland to Rotterdam has been started by a group of international partners.
By establishing an export route to the Port of Rotterdam and other European locations, the LOHC for Hydrogen Transport from Scotland (LHyTS) initiative aims to show that LOHC, in the form of methylcyclohexane (MCH), can be effectively transported at scale.
The collaboration, which includes Axens, Chiyoda, EnQuest, ERM, Koole Terminals, Port of Rotterdam, Scottish Government, Shetland Islands Council, Storegga, and the Net Zero Technology Centre, will carry out the project.
The project is reported to be in line with the Hydrogen Policy Statement of the Scottish Government, which aims to produce 5 GW of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045. The European Commission plans to import 10 million tons of hydrogen by 2030, further establishing the global aim.
However, the Port of Rotterdam already imports 13% of Europe’s energy and aspires to become the continent’s hub for hydrogen production. The port will rely on its supply chain for the energy industry, pipeline linkages to other industrial clusters in Northwest Europe, and import, export, and storage infrastructure to do this.
