ARA ports could account for over half of EU hydrogen imports - Westwood
The Netherlands and Belgium could collectively contribute to around 62% of the European Union's hydrogen imports target for 2030 via their Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges ports, consultancy Westwood Global Energy Group says.
PHOTO: The Europoort area in the Port of Rotterdam. Getty Images
The EU last year unveiled targets to import 10 mt/year of hydrogen and to produce an equal amount domestically by 2030 as member states sought ways to end their dependence on Russian energy in the aftermath of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
These targets have motivated member states to invest in their hydrogen production. Still, sufficient risks remain around the planned projects to suggest that not all of them will come online, Westwood says. That would increase the importance of imports, where the Netherlands and Belgium would play a key role as the homes to two of Europe's busiest ports - Rotterdam and Antwerp.
"As home to two of the continent’s biggest ports, the expansion of critical infrastructure linking supply and demand will be key to success, as will the establishment of global partnerships capable of supplying low-cost hydrogen," Jun Sasamura, senior analyst for hydrogen at Westwood says.
The Netherlands and Belgium should also benefit from their proximity to Germany, which is expected to emerge as another key importer in Northwest Europe. Germany aims to become a large consumer of hydrogen and expects "the majority of hydrogen demand to be met by imports from both EU and third-party countries," the report states.
Both countries have specified Germany as a key market for the hydrogen they import and are expanding their infrastructure to supply the market starting in the late 2020s.
The Netherlands is targeting to complete its first hydrogen imports by 2024 and step up to large-scale imports by 2027-2028. Belgium is aiming to begin imports by 2027 and to begin moving the hydrogen to Germany by 2028.
By Debarati Bhattacharjee
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