The Port of Rotterdam, together with the Province of Zuid Holland and more than 40 partners have launched a project for emission-free inland and near-shore shipping on hydrogen.
According to the announcement, the project's name is Condor H2 and aims to facilitate the sailing of 50 emission-free vessels by 2030, targeting a CO2 reduction of 100,000 tons per year.
In particular, Condor H2 will provide fuel cells with a battery pack as well as hydrogen storage on a pay-per-use basis to enable ships to operate emission-free with limited up-front investments for ship owners.
The hydrogen will be delivered in ‘tanktainers’ which can be easily loaded on board vessels and quickly swapped when empty, allowing maximum flexibility for longer journeys.
Condor H2 is driven by a Steering Group of the Province of Zuid Holland, Port of Rotterdam, WaterstofNet and Rabobank.
The goal of this project is to have the first vessels with the Condor H2 system sailing on the route in 2025.
The project is part of the RH2INE network, a cooperation between ports, regional governments and market parties along the Rhine corridor, ranging from Belgium and the Netherlands up to Switzerland.
Nico van Dooren, director of New Business at the Port of Rotterdam, commented, "By offering a modular, scalable and affordable solution, Condor H2 will make it technically and economically feasible to switch to zero-emission shipping on the key shipping routes in north-west Europe."
