Greenhouse gas emissions from companies in the Port of Rotterdam industrial cluster increased by 2.1 million tonnes, or 11% , between 2024 and 2025, reaching a total of 21.2 million tonnes of COâ‚‚ equivalent.
The increase was driven primarily by higher electricity generation at the port’s power plants in response to stronger foreign demand from European markets, according to data published by the Netherlands Emissions Authority.
The five power plants operating in the port area collectively emitted 1.6 million tonnes, or 33 percent, more greenhouse gases in 2025 than in the prior year.
Coal-fired power plants increased electricity production by 38%, while the three gas-fired plants produced 25 percent more, generating a comparable rise in COâ‚‚ emissions.
The increase in power generation was not a purely local phenomenon. Across the Netherlands as a whole, electricity production from coal rose 25% and from natural gas 11 percent, with approximately a quarter of this additional output originating from Rotterdam.
The 6% growth in Dutch renewable electricity generation from solar and wind sources was insufficient to satisfy European demand, necessitating the increased output from fossil fuel plants.
Refinery activity in the port also expanded in 2025, driven by higher refining margins in Northwest Europe.
The four refineries in the Rotterdam port area processed more crude oil than in 2024, contributing an additional 0.3 million tonnes or 4% to the cluster’s total emissions.
The port area’s share of national greenhouse gas emissions stood at 14.5% in 2025.
The emissions data illustrates the tension between Rotterdam’s role as a critical node in the European energy system and the port’s longer-term decarbonisation objectives, with short-term energy security demands from neighbouring countries driving increased fossil fuel output despite broader transition commitments.
