N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie (Gasunie; Groningen) and Royal Vopak (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) announced that they have entered into a cooperation agreement. The aim is to jointly develop future terminal infrastructure projects that will facilitate the necessary imports of hydrogen into Northwest Europe via Dutch and German ports. Both parties have been working together in the Gate LNG-terminal in the Port of Rotterdam that came into operation in 2011.
Alongside domestic production of hydrogen, large-scale import of green hydrogen will become essential for reaching the European Green Deal and the Fit for 55 targets. Import initiatives are developing rapidly: the first import streams to Germany and the Netherlands are expected by 2025. Global supply chains and logistics infrastructure need to be developed and operated to facilitate the import of green hydrogen required for the energy and feedstock transition.
The cooperation agreement includes import projects for hydrogen through green ammonia, liquid organic hydrogen carriers, and liquid hydrogen technologies. To safely and reliably handle products like hydrogen and ammonia, high quality infrastructure and operations are needed. Vopak and Gasunie will focus on developing import infrastructure related to storage that enables further distribution of hydrogen to end users (e.g. by means of pipeline, vessels, road and rail) and contributes to the security of supply in Northwest Europe. Both parties have a long track record in developing infrastructure and safely storing and handling these types of products.
As independent infrastructure companies Gasunie and Vopak will focus solely on the development as well as safe and reliable operation of open access infrastructure. Open access logistics infrastructure that is available to all market parties is most effective, both from a cost and environmental footprint perspective. It can further accelerate the import and use of green energy to a wide range of end markets. On 11 April 2022, Gasunie, Vopak and HES International announced that they joined forces to develop an import terminal for a hydrogen carrier in the port of Rotterdam, named ACE Terminal.
Ulco Vermeulen, Director Business Development Gasunie: “With this agreement, Vopak and Gasunie continue their many years of successful co-operation. Hydrogen is an essential component of the sustainable energy mix of the future. Our joint goal is to enable the international hydrogen value chain by providing the necessary import infrastructure. As a renewable energy infrastructure company, we already function as a linking pin for the energy transition in various public private partnerships in the Netherlands. With this agreement, Vopak and Gasunie can play a role in the transport, storage and import as part of the international hydrogen value chain.”
Frits Eulderink, Executive Board Member and COO of Royal Vopak comments: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with Gasunie beyond our successful Gate LNG terminal operations in the Port of Rotterdam and jointly develop vital infrastructure supporting the energy transition. We are looking forward to working together with Gasunie in the development of new infrastructure for the future vital products.”