The green hydrogen that will supply Northern Europe
Plug Power has signed a 30-year concession contract to build this renewable hydrogen plant on more than 11 hectares of land in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Belgium. The construction of the site is estimated at several hundred million euros and will begin in 2023. Thanks to electrolysis and liquefaction, Plug Power will produce up to 12,500 tonnes of liquid and gaseous green hydrogen each year for the European market. .
” As Europe grapples with the pressing challenges of climate change and energy security, our agreement with Port of Antwerp-Bruges will provide the European market with locally produced green hydrogen said Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug.
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, adds: ” The signing of Plug Power is a confirmation of the attractiveness of our port and the NextGen district. Their project corresponds perfectly to our vision of the circular economy. We give hydrogen every opportunity as a fuel and clean energy carrier and therefore commit ourselves as an active pioneer of the hydrogen economy. “.
The ideal place to produce hydrogen
Plug Power has chosen a key location in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, which occupies a strategic position in Europe. At the center of Europe’s largest chemical industry cluster and close to the North Sea, it offers transport links to Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and France and is less than an hour’s drive from Brussels.
The port area handles 289 million tons of maritime freight, 24 million tons of rail freight and 108.5 million tons of river freight each year: the demand for hydrogen next to the site is expected to be significant.
This location also allows a rapid supply of electricity thanks to wind turbines installed on the site and in the surrounding area. With strategic access to sea, road and rail routes, as well as pipelines for the delivery of green hydrogen, will the Port of Antwerp-Bruges become the new hydrogen hub in Europe?
It is planned that the European Hydrogen Backbone will be built in the immediate vicinity of the future plant. In this context, Plug has signed a contract with the carrier Fluxys to carry out a feasibility study with a view to connecting its plant there.
