Port authority Rotterdam and German steel companies commit to hydrogen network
Europoort, May 4th, 2021
The Port of Rotterdam Authority wants to import hydrogen into Rotterdam together with the German steel producers thyssenkrup Steel and HKM. The possibility of building a hydrogen pipeline from Rotterdam to Duisburg is also being investigated.
Thyssenkrupp Steel and HKM – a subsidiary of thyssenkrupp Steel – have been importing coal into Rotterdam for decades. From there, it is transported in barges to the blast furnaces in Duisburg. The steel producers say they will need more and more hydrogen in the coming years to eventually achieve climate-neutral production.
HYDROGEN PIPELINE
That is why Thyssenkrupp Steel and HKM have agreed with the Port of Rotterdam Authority to jointly transport hydrogen to Rotterdam. They are also investigating the possibility of laying a hydrogen pipeline from Rotterdam to the blast furnaces in Duisburg. According to the Port Authority, the collaboration can serve as a ‘framework’ for other initiatives. It can also support existing projects.
INCREASING DEMAND
The energy transition mainly requires additional pipelines, according to the three parties. An increasing demand for hydrogen from the steel industry could stimulate the construction of this infrastructure.
