The Port of Rotterdam, in collaboration with the Province of Zuid Holland and more than 40 partners, has unveiled a new ambitious project that aims to facilitate emission-free inland and near-shore shipping using hydrogen. Dubbed Condor H2, the project targets a CO2 reduction of 100,000 tons per year and plans to enable the sailing of 50 emission-free vessels by 2030.
Condor H2’s approach is to provide fuel-cells with a battery pack, as well as hydrogen storage, on a pay-per-use basis. This enables ships to operate without emitting harmful gases and requires limited up-front investment from ship owners. The hydrogen will be delivered in ‘tanktainers’, which can be easily loaded onto ships and swapped quickly when empty, allowing for maximum flexibility during longer journeys. To bring the project to fruition, it will involve 6 ports and more than 40 partners, spanning the entire value chain from hydrogen suppliers and distributors to technology providers and shipowners. The goal is to have the first vessels with the Condor H2 system sailing on the route in 2025.
According to Nico van Dooren, the Director of New Business at the Port of Rotterdam, “Hydrogen is already being tested in shipping, but the time has come to take action towards large-scale implementation. By offering a modular, scalable and affordable solution, Condor H2 will make it technically and economically feasible to switch to zero-emission shipping on the key shipping routes in north-west Europe.” The project is a promising development for the industry and is part of the RH2INE network, which is a collaboration between ports, regional governments, and market parties along the Rhine corridor ranging from Belgium and the Netherlands up to Switzerland.
Jeannette Baljeu, the Deputy of the Province of Zuid Holland, says that “it is promising to see the developments RH2INE partners now are making within this purpose-driven network of like-minded partners. Condor finds itself in a network of frontrunners who are willing and able to scale up.”
The project is driven by a Steering Group of the Province of Zuid Holland, Port of Rotterdam, WaterstofNet and Rabobank, with support from a range of other partners from industry and shipping including Air Products, Ballard, Blue H Engineering, bp, Concordia Damen, De Vlaamse Waterweg, DFDS, EICB, ENGIE, Eoly Energy, FinCo Fuel, Future Proof Shipping, H2Storage, HTS, INEOS, Linde, Marin, Maritime Academy Harlingen, Naval Inland Navigation, Nedstack, Municipality of Nijmegen, North Sea Port, NPRC, NPROXX, Port of Duisburg, Port of Amsterdam, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the Province of Noord Holland, Rotterdam Shortsea Terminal, Samskip, Schenk Tanktransport, Shell, STC, Theo Pouw, UMOE, VT Group, VITRITE Middelburg, and Zepp Solutions.
