Germany energy company Uniper and Rotterdam’s port have reached a deal to produce green hydrogen at Uniper’s Maasvlakte facility, following an initial feasibility study.

Green hydrogen, as opposed to hydrogen produced from natural gas, is seen as having a major role in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and Rotterdam aims to be an international hub for hydrogen production and imports.

The next step in the process is an engineering and design study, which is expected to take nine months. Efforts are also underway to apply for permits and financial support, the two organisations said.

According to Dutch media reports, the project will require ‘serious amounts’ of government cash to get off the ground. DutchNews.nl has asked Uniper for further details.

‘We have the strong ambition to convert our Maasvlakte location into a major link in the new European hydrogen value chain, Uniper Hydrogen chief executive Axel Wietfeld said in a press statement.

‘There is a host of opportunities, not only for Uniper but also for other players in the chain. Together we can use sustainable hydrogen to reduce CO₂ levels in Rotterdam significantly.’

The company has a coal-fired power plant on the Maasvlakte, where biomass and various residual streams are also used to produce electricity and steam

Some 13% of the European energy supply enters the EU via Rotterdam, and the port aims to be climate neutral by 2050.

‘The industry has to go through a massive change in making its business processes more sustainable,’ said port chief Allard Castelein. ‘Hydrogen will play a central role in this process.’