Swietelsky Rail Benelux B.V. was awarded the contract to build a new pipeline strip along the Moezelweg by the Port of Rotterdam Authority following a European bidding procedure.

The project is an important milestone in the development of energy transition infrastructure. The pipeline strip will house hydrogen and carbon dioxide transport pipes for HyTransPort.RTM and Porthos.

Improving service along Moezelweg in the Europoort region will necessitate the relocation of the current trunk line, the construction of an earth retaining structure, and the excavation of a portion of the embankment. Six or seven wires and pipes will fit in the new pipeline strip, which measures 7.60 meters in width. To put it simply, we expect to see this project through to its conclusion by the year 2023.

Any business that wants to buy or sell hydrogen can use the HyTransPort.RTM pipeline. As of this writing, Shell is the first corporation to sign up for HyTransPort.RTM. Shell’s planned electrolyser on the Maasvlakte, called Holland Hydrogen I, will be linked to the pipeline.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority, Gasunie, and EBN have formed a partnership called Porthos to build a project that will capture CO2 from Rotterdam’s industrial sector, transport it to the North Sea’s empty gas fields, and store it there. A total of 37 MT of carbon dioxide will be stored at Porthos, or 2.5 MT year for 15 years.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has set a goal of reducing carbon emissions by 55 percent in the port’s industrial complex by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Together with hydrogen and biofuel generation, the initiatives now under way that make up the energy transformation pillars will cut carbon emissions by 23 million tonnes. This is equivalent to 35 percent of the Netherlands’ 2030 carbon reduction goal (65 million tonnes). Additional pipelines and cables will be needed for these projects in the future years. Therefore, it is a very important first step to eliminate the bottleneck along the Moezelweg pipeline strip.