An international consortium is launching a study to transport hydrogen in the form of a LOHC (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier) from Scotland to Rotterdam.
The LHyTS project seeks to demonstrate that LOHC, in the form of methylcyclohexane (MCH), can be successfully transported at scale, providing an export route to the port of Rotterdam and other European destinations.
Scotland’s ambition is to produce 5 GW of hydrogen by 2030. The European Union wants to import around 10 GW by 2030.
René van de Plas, Director International of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, commented on the occasion:
Scotland is extremely fit for the production of green hydrogen, because of its abundance of wind and the demand at the continent nearby. On top of that, the area is one of the heartlands of the oil and energy sector. That ecosystem of knowledge, infrastructure and companies will help to kickstart the hydrogen economy
In a similar development, an initiative of 18 companies led by the Port of Rotterdam Authority has kicked off a study into the possible establishment of a large-scale ammonia cracker to enable imports of 1 million tons of hydrogen per year for the decarbonization of industry and mobility.
The participants have commissioned Fluor to study possibilities for a large central cracking facility in the port area to convert imported ammonia back into 1 million tons of hydrogen per year.
The hydrogen can then be used in the port or transported onwards via pipelines to facilitate decarbonization of other industrial clusters in North-West Europe. As a general rule, one million tons of green hydrogen can facilitate approximately 10 million tons of CO2-reductions.