The Port of Rotterdam, in collaboration with the Province of Zuid Holland and more than 40 partners, has launched an ambitious project to achieve emission-free inland and near-shore shipping on hydrogen.

The project, called Condor H2, aims to facilitate the sailing of 50 emission-free vessels by 2030, targeting a CO2 reduction of 100,000 tons per year. 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.

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. Six ports and more than 40 partners, spanning the entire value chain from hydrogen suppliers and distributors to technology providers and shipowners, have come together to realize this project. The goal is to have the first vessels with the Condor H2 system sailing on the route in 2025.

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. The project is driven by a Steering Group of the Province of Zuid Holland, Port of Rotterdam, WaterstofNet, and Rabobank. The project is also supported by a range of other partners from industry and shipping, including Air Products, Ballard, Blue H Engineering, bp, Concordia Damen, De Vlaamse Waterweg, DFDS, EICB, ENGIE, Eoly Energy, FinCo Fuel, Future Proof Shipping, H2Storage, HTS, INEOS, Linde, Marin, Maritime Academy Harlingen, Naval Inland Navigation, Nedstack, Municipality of Nijmegen, North Sea Port, NPRC, NPROXX, Port of Duisburg, Port of Amsterdam, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the Province of Noord Holland, Rotterdam Shortsea Terminal, Samskip, Schenk Tanktransport, Shell, STC, Theo Pouw, UMOE, VT Group, VITRITE Middelburg, and Zepp Solutions.

The development of this project is promising as it aligns with the decarbonization goals of the Port of Rotterdam. It will also contribute to the European Green Deal, which aims to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050. The potential impact of this project is significant, as it could drastically reduce carbon emissions in the shipping industry, which is responsible for about 2.5% of global CO2 emissions. The use of hydrogen as a fuel also offers a clean alternative to traditional fossil fuels, which emit harmful pollutants and contribute to climate change.