Port of Rotterdam welcomes first hydrogen pipeline customer

Shell International Petroleum Company (Shell) has signed an agreement to become the first company to use the HyTransPortRTM hydrogen pipeline in the Port of Rotterdam.

The project has been laid out by the Port of Rotterdam Authority in collaboration with Gasunie and it will serve the industry’s effort to make the port more sustainable and achieve the industry-shared goal of decarbonisation.

The infrastructure will run for 32 kilometres with a diameter of 61 centimetres, connecting the Maasvlakte 2 and Pernis.

The hydrogen pipeline is expected to become operational between the end of 2024 and early 2025 and it will be connected to the national and international hydrogen network.

“Shell has great ambitions in the field of hydrogen,” said Jeroen Steens, director commercial delivery at the Port of Rotterdam Authority, praising Shell’s commitment towards decarbonisation.

“Infrastructure such as HyTransPort is crucial for the hydrogen economy in the port of Rotterdam to get off the ground.

“This is a clear sign that steps are being taken to make the port of Rotterdam more sustainable.”

The Port Authority has reported that the Holland Hydrogen I electrolyser that Shell is building at the Conversion Park on the Maasvlakte will be connected to the pipeline.

Shell is expected to make the final investment decision for its electrolyser on the in the first half of 2022.

The HyTransPortRTM hydrogen pipeline project follows recent initiatives to promote sustainable solutions across the maritime industry that rely on green hydrogen as an essential element for the future of renewable energy.

The Port of Rotterdam ranked first in PTI’s ‘Top 5 Ports in Europe 2021’, processing a record-high 15.3 million TEU in 2021.

For more information visit www.portofrotterdam.com