Ireland’s largest bulk port, Shannon Foynes, and the Port of Rotterdam – Europe’s largest port – have signed an agreement with a view to developing a supply-chain corridor for exporting green fuels into Europe produced from the west of Ireland’s limitless wind resource.
The agreement will focus on market and trade development for vast volumes of green hydrogen and its derivatives produced at the planned international green energy hub on the Shannon Estuary.
Europe’s overall green hydrogen strategy for 2030 is to import 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen for use in heavy industry and transport sectors that are traditionally reliant on coal, natural gas, and oil.
The Port of Rotterdam intends to facilitate volumes of 40 million tonnes from across the world by 2050, a significant proportion of which can come from the Atlantic resource.
The two ports will also potentially work together on market development in this new market and on jointly finding final off-takers for supplies from Ireland.
René van der Plas, Director International at the Port of Rotterdam said: “This agreement with Shannon Foynes Port is one such partnership and can support our efforts to set up supply chain corridors for the import of green hydrogen into north-west Europe from countries elsewhere, with high potential for green and low carbon hydrogen production. Shannon Foynes Port is an ideal partner in that respect.”
Patrick Keating, CEO of Shannon Foynes Port Company added: “With the largest wind resource in Europe off our west coast, we have the opportunity to become Europe’s leading renewable energy gen-eration hub. That will deliver transformational change for Ireland in terms of energy independence and an unprecedented economic gain in the process. In delivering on this, too, we can make our biggest ever contribution to the European project as we become a very significant contributor to REPowerEU, Europe’s plan to end reliance on fossil fuels.
Brendan Rogers, Ambas-sador of Ireland to the Netherlands stated: “What a great day as two major ports, Rotterdam and Shannon Foynes, agree to co-operate on green hydrogen, one of the key sustainable fuels for a carbon-free and renewable energy future for Ireland, the Netherlands and Europe.”