Uniper, Port of Rotterdam explore development of 100-MW hydrogen plant

Uniper SE is partnering with the Port of Rotterdam Authority to develop a 100-MW green hydrogen plant at the utility's coal-fired Maasvlakte power plant in the Netherlands.

Both parties are working on a feasibility report and, once it prequalifies for the European Union Important Projects of Common European Interest program, the conceptual design and the technical dimensions of the project will be developed in the next few months.

The project will be developed at Uniper's existing power plant site, with the possibility of expansion to 500 MW in capacity, the port authority said in a Feb. 8 press release. Hydrogen will be produced using electricity generated at offshore wind facilities and brought on land at the port. Other electric infrastructure is already at the Maasvlakte site. Under Dutch law, the coal plant is to close by 2030.

Once developed, the parties plan to explore the possibility of supplying green hydrogen to major industrial complexes in the North Rhine-Westphalia area of Germany through pipelines. The project team is also looking at options for import/export and storage of hydrogen at Maasvlakte, the port authority said in the release.