German steel company ThyssenKrupp Steel and the Port of Rotterdam are jointly exploring the creation of an international hydrogen supply hub. As part of its journey towards climate-neutral steel production, ThyssenKrupp will need a large and ever-increasing amount of hydrogen to produce coal-free steel. For decades, the company has imported coal, iron ore and other raw materials through its own terminal in Rotterdam and delivered them to its blast furnaces in Duisburg by barge and rail.
“The partners will jointly explore the possibility of importing hydrogen through Rotterdam and a possible pipeline corridor between Rotterdam and ThyssenKrupp Steel and HKM's Duisburg plants. Collaboration can form the basis for further initiatives and is designed to support existing initiatives and projects in which partners are involved, "- said in a statement ThyssenKrupp.
The Port of Rotterdam already plans to import hydrogen from a large number of countries and regions around the world. Green hydrogen is a sustainable alternative to coal, oil and natural gas. Importing large quantities of hydrogen is necessary if Europe and Germany want to reduce 2 CO emissions and become climate neutral by 2050 without losing a strong industrial footing. Rotterdam is also building a carbon transport and storage system, Porthos, which could also act as a CO 2 storage facility for the production of blue hydrogen as part of the H2morrow Steel project.
Collaboration between Rotterdam as Europe's largest port and Duisburg as Europe's largest steelmaker could signal the creation of supply chains for the energy transition and contribute to the development of a sustainable European logistics hydrogen cluster.
