The Port of Rotterdam Authority is developing an 11 ha site on the Maasvlakte suitable for the construction of a green hydrogen plant. This site is located next to where Tennet’s Amaliahaven (380 kV) high-voltage substation will be built.
In addition, a new hydrogen pipeline will soon run alongside the site. The site is close to the Evides water pipeline and the Port Authority is exploring the possibility of connecting the Maasvlakte hydrogen plants to regional heat networks. This will eventually allow them to use ‘green’ heat to heat houses, greenhouses and offices.
The proposals are in response to the tender for the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm, which begins later this year. The site would be the destination of the 2GW DC cable from the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone Beta. In the procedure for plot Beta, the Minister for Climate and Energy is encouraging companies to integrate much of wind energy into the energy system. The wind farm and hydrogen plant should be ready around 2028.
Allard Castelein, Port of Rotterdam Authority CEO, says: ‘The construction of a hydrogen plant with a capacity of 1 GW is the next leap in scale in the production of green hydrogen. Several companies are now building, or have advanced plans to build, electrolysers with a capacity of 200 to 250 MW at the Maasvlakte. These would currently be the largest in Europe, but we already want to accommodate the next generation of hydrogen plants. These are expected to be five times larger.’
Several companies have plans to realise a total of some 1,350 MW (1.35 GW) of electrolysis in Rotterdam. The ambition of the Port Authority is to achieve 2 to 2.5 GW of electrolysis by 2030. The national government is aiming for 4 GW nationwide by 2030.
More wind farms are expected to be built in the North Sea in the coming years. Part of the electricity they generate will be used to make green hydrogen: electrolysis allows water to be split into hydrogen and oxygen. Making hydrogen directly on the coast means there is no requirement for additional high-voltage cables on land.
In order to allocate the site for hydrogen production, the Port Authority is consulting with the municipality and DCMR on amending the zoning plan: the site is currently zoned for container storage.
