Ports of Bilbao and Amsterdam work on hydrogen corridor

The Ports of Bilbao and Amsterdam have signed a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) for the development of a renewable hydrogen corridor along with several other partners.

Others party to this deal include the Energy Agency of the Basque

Government (EVE), Petronor, SkyNRG, Evos Amsterdam, and Zenith Energy

Terminals.

The establishment of a corridor between the ports of Bilbao and Amsterdam

will connect two rapidly developing hydrogen valleys.

The King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, the Dutch Minister, Rob

Jetten, and the Spanish Minister, Teresa Ribera, attended the signing ceremony

as official witnesses.

The MoU states the parties will team up to develop a renewable hydrogen

supply chain, focusing on production in the Basque Country and export to the

Netherlands and the European hinterland through the Port of Amsterdam.

According to a statement released by the Port of Amsterdam, this fits with

the wider Basque Hydrogen Strategy, developed by EVE, which is aimed at both

local usage and international markets, and the Dutch government’s stimulation of

the production, import, and use of hydrogen.

The Port of Bilbao is part of the Basque Hydrogen Corridor, a collaboration

spearheaded by oil and gas company, Petronor, and energy company, Repsol, to

decarbonise the energy, industrial, residential, and mobility sectors.

Petronor is committed to developing a broad range of renewable fuels and to

creating a hub in Bilbao that will compose a synthetic fuels plant and an urban

waste processing project.

Thus, Petronor and Repsol, together with EVE and other companies, are

developing the construction of electrolysers to produce renewable hydrogen, with

a total capacity of 113 Megawatts (MW), and a demonstration plant to produce

hydrogen-based e-fuels, the first synthetic fuel plant in Spain.

The partners are developing another project focused on a municipal waste

pyrolysis plant, which aligns with Repsol’s strategy of promoting the circular

economy.

This will make use of modern technologies to decarbonise processes in

Petronor.

The Port of Bilbao features multiple of these projects and will serve as a

hub for the export of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives.

The Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Policy, Rob Jetten, stated:

“International collaboration is essential to develop the hydrogen market and the

associated infrastructure.

“Within the EU, Spain offers plenty of opportunities and is therefore one

of our most important hydrogen partners,” Jetten added.

Carlos Alzaga, Managing Director of the Port of Bilbao Authority said: “The

Port of Bilbao is fully committed to the production, transport, and use of

renewable energies and supports and works together with those companies that are

developing green sources of energies.”

“Green hydrogen is one of the most important paths for that goal,” Alzaga

added.

Earlier this year, the Port Authority of Bilbao approved the call for

tenders for the construction and operation of a container terminal on the

central quay.

More recently, British shipping company Ellerman City Liners announced the

launch of its weekly direct service between the Port of Bilbao and the US East

Coast.