North Sea Port, a Belgian-Dutch port enterprise formed by the amalgamation of the ports of Ghent, Terneuzen, and Vlissingen, aims to be carbon-neutral by 2050. As a result, the port authority has lately created a hydrogen plan. “North Sea Port will expand from the Benelux’s largest hydrogen hub to a European-scale hydrogen hub,” says CEO Daan Schalck.
At the moment, North Sea Port is Benelux’s largest hydrogen hub. Each year, the industry cluster generates and uses 580 kilotons of hydrogen. In the next years, the port authority anticipates that demand for sustainable hydrogen as raw material and fuel will rise in industries such as steel, chemicals, aluminum, fertilizer, refining, food, construction materials, and transportation. As a result, the existing industry will be able to achieve the climate goals.
Hydrogen that is green
Gray hydrogen is the type of hydrogen that is now generated and used in the North Sea Port. Because it is made from natural gas, it is not CO2-neutral. CO2 emissions must be fully eliminated by 2050. As a result, various facilities must increase the production of green hydrogen with no CO2 emissions, with a capacity of 500 megawatts by 2025. Then, in 2030, a quick expansion up to a capacity of 2 gigawatts.
It is critical to land offshore wind farms in order to produce this green hydrogen. Future hydrogen plants will be able to acquire higher quantities of electricity thanks to the expansion of the high-voltage network in Borssele and Ghent. North Sea Port also plans to increase the infrastructure needed for CO2 capture, transportation, and storage via Carbon Capture and Storage.
“Investing in sustainable hydrogen and accompanying infrastructure will not only improve the sustainability of current businesses, but it will also attract new, creative businesses,” says port alderman Sofie Bracke. “North Sea Port’s hydrogen approach is consistent with the greater goal of being a carbon-neutral port.”
Consistent growth
The fact that the port corporation is ambitious is clearly demonstrated by the numbers. In the first quarter of 2022, maritime freight throughput climbed by more than 6%. As a result, the effects of corona are progressively being eradicated. The transshipment has not yet been affected by EU sanctions on Russia, and commerce with Ukraine has remained stable. In addition, inland shipping freight throughput had its greatest quarter ever.
