Zenith Energy delivering liquid hydrogen through a new Hydrogen Corridor between Spain and Amsterdam

Port of Bilbao and Port of Amsterdam, together with the Energy Agency of the Basque Government (EVE), Petronor, SkyNRG, Evos Amsterdam and Zenith Energy Terminals, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to join forces for the development of a renewable hydrogen corridor between Bilbao and Amsterdam. The corridor will focus on the maritime route between the two ports. His Majesty 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 attendance of the King underlines the importance attached by the Netherlands and Spain to bilateral cooperation for the development of the renewable hydrogen market. The Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Policy, Mr. Rob Jetten, stated, ‘In order to realise a climate neutral energy system and a sustainable industry, the Netherlands and Europe have large hydrogen ambitions. 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. In the end, it is the companies that will truly need to make it happen. Important that this is already happening and that Dutch and Spanish companies are reaching shared agreements on the delivery of green hydrogen.’

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. 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 Petronor and 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 for the production of renewable hydrogen, with a total capacity of 113 MW, and a demonstration plant for the production of hydrogen-based e-fuels, the first synthetic fuel plaint in Spain. They are developing another project focused on a municipal waste pyrolysis plant, which aligns with Repsol’s strategy of promoting the circular economy. It will make use of cutting-edge technologies to decarbonise processes in Petronor. These projects will set a new benchmark in Europe and are on the leading edge of the development of net-zero emissions fuels. Hydrogen based fuels, e-fuels and methanol are promising solutions to cope with both transport and maritime needs.

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 port of Bilbao is already an important European logistical centre. This role can be leveraged for the ambitions of the Spanish government to become a key supplier of renewable hydrogen and e-fuels to, in particular, North-West Europe. A green hydrogen corridor between the ports of Bilbao and Amsterdam can underpin this ambition. 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. And green hydrogen is one of the most important paths for that goal.’

Port of Amsterdam is the operator of Europe’s fourth-largest port and is strongly committed to developing green hydrogen facilities within its port area, as well as establishing import corridors for green hydrogen and its derivatives. One of the prominent industrial sectors supplied by the port of Amsterdam is the aviation industry. The port features a direct connection to one of Europe’s largest airports, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The aviation industry faces a significant decarbonisation challenge, with Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) viewed as an important part of tackling this challenge. SkyNRG, a global leader in SAF, is developing a network of SAF production facilities that require green hydrogen as input, including one in the port of Amsterdam. Zenith Energy Terminals and Evos Amsterdam are the operators of some of the most prominent blending and storage terminals in the port. Zenith Energy Terminals is developing a liquid hydrogen supply chain, while Evos Amsterdam is working on a liquid organic hydrogen carrier supply chain. Dorine Bosman, Chief Investment Officer at Port of Amsterdam, said, “The port of Amsterdam plays a crucial role in the energy transition. The recently awarded status of Hydrogen Valley to the broader Amsterdam area highlights the pace of development in this region. Port of Amsterdam views green hydrogen and e-fuels as major components of the port of the future. We are very pleased to collaborate with the companies active in our port, and with our Spanish counterparts. The port of Bilbao and Petronor are natural fits for setting up a green hydrogen corridor. The formation of such intra-European corridors goes a long way in propelling the European Union as a whole to its new energy future.”

All parties to the MoU are keen to support the ambitions of the European Union, as defined in the REpowerEU policy plan, and the cooperation between Spain and the Netherlands. The establishment of a corridor between the ports of Bilbao and Amsterdam will connect two rapidly developing Hydrogen Valleys. The corridor will not only facilitate the trade of renewable hydrogen and e-fuels, but it will also foster the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the parties involved. The Spanish and Dutch parties will jointly discuss the next steps for their collaboration. Ultimately, this initiative will further strengthen the Spanish-Dutch relationship and contribute to the overall goal of reducing emissions.

The MoU was signed by Carlos Alzaga, Managing Director of the Port Authority of Bilbao, Iñigo Ansola, General Manager of EVE, José Ignacio Zudaire, Deputy of CEO of Petronor, Gert-Jan Nieuwenhuizen, Managing Director of Port of Amsterdam International, Theye Veen, Chief Commercial Officer of SkyNRG, Ramon Ernst, Managing Director of Evos Amsterdam, and Tadhg Deasy, Managing Director of Zenith Energy Europe. The agreement was signed in the presence of HM Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands. 

EVE is the Basque Government’s energy agency, which is responsible for proposing energy strategies for the Basque Country and participating in developing these strategies and contributing to the meeting the defined targets. It has strong technical capacity, commitment and leadership, which it applies by directly engaging in public-private partnerships, including in projects that form a part of the hydrogen developments in the Basque Country. EVE has a clearly defined Basque Hydrogen Strategy, which seeks to leverage the position of the Basque Country an important industrial cluster and future producer of green hydrogen and e-fuels. This Strategy calls for the installation of 300MW of electrolysis power and the annual production of 2,000 tonnes per year of synthetic fuels per 2030, as well as local hydrogen utilisation in the industrial, buildings and transportation and mobility sectors, amongst other goals.

For more information, please visit www.eve.es

The Port Authority of Bilbao is the public agency responsible for development, management and operation of the Port of Bilbao, a large multipurpose port located in the Bay of Biscay. It is the most important port of the Atlantic Arc, as a result of its privileged location and well connected by sea, road and railway between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe. It’s the main port of Spain in maritime links with the UK and Ireland. Also has connections with almost 900 ports all around the world, but mainly with the Atlantic ports of Europe. As a fully import/export Port, is the most important link between the industries of its hinterland and their needs of transport competitiveness for their commercial purposes. The Port of Bilbao Authority is fully concerned with the fight against the climate change and is the reference among the Spanish Ports System. As result of that, an Strategic Plan on Energetic Transition was developed to achieve the main goals of the European Green Deal and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

For more information, please visit: www.bilbaoport.eus

Petronor represents the industrial vanguard of the oil sector and champions the spirit of tradition and closeness to the environment in which it is located, and to which it owes its productive strength. With a production potential of 12 million t/year, it is the largest refinery in Spain, and exports just over a third of its production. It employs 945 regular workers and has an induced employment of 6,200 people. Petronor contribute to sustainable development by placing its knowledge and technology at the service of the community for energy decarbonization, thus promoting the sustainability of socioeconomic development and accelerating projects aligned with its commitment for decarbonization to produce net-zero emissions fuels.

For more information, please visit: https://petronor.eus/es/

Port of Amsterdam aims to be a leading European seaport at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable society. The port is a logistics hub for international and national trade flows, as well as local urban distribution. The port focuses on growth of bio- and synthetic fuels, hydrogen activities, circular industry and manufacturing. Western Europe's fourth port delivers added value by employing 68,000 people at port and port-related companies. By innovating, the port is working towards a smoother and more transparent shipping process and reduced CO2 emissions from port and shipping. Port of Amsterdam is working intensively with clients and partners to make the port operate faster, smarter and cleaner. So a little better every day. 

For more information, please visit www.portofamsterdam.com 

Since 2009, SkyNRG has been a global leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuels. The company is dedicated to increase SAF demand and production capacity for the industry to meet its 2050 net zero commitment. SkyNRG has supplied SAF to over 40+ airlines and 70+ corporates across the world and is now developing dedicated SAF production facilities to support the transition from fossil jet fuel to sustainable aviation fuel. SkyNRG does not compromise when it comes to sustainability; we are a globally recognized Certified B Corp™, our operations are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), and we are advised by an independent Sustainability Board, as well as a worldwide NGO network to ensure we make the right sustainability decisions across all of our operations.

For more information, please visit www.skynrg.com