\u00a9 iStock\/audioundwerbung<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a world port and envisions itself in the import, local production, processing, and throughput of green hydrogen and hydrogen carriers, for example, ammonia and methanol, to the country and beyond.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nBelgium cannot produce the required quantities of green hydrogen on its own due to a lack of space. Imports of green hydrogen and hydrogen carriers from areas that have a significant amount of space, as well as sufficient wind and sun, will therefore be necessary to supplement local production.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe current capacity of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges will be expanded from 2026 onwards, to receive the first green hydrogen molecules on its platform. To strengthen its position as a major player in the hydrogen industry, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges formed the hydrogen import coalition with five major industrial players and public stakeholders: DEME, Engie, Exmar, Fluxys, and WaterstofNet. To develop the hydrogen chain, collaborations with several exporting regions have also been established. Currently, global hydrogen export projects are being developed by several Belgian companies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHydrogen and hydrogen carriers are carried to Europe by various modes of transport, such as pipelines, rail, and inland waterways. Therefore, it is essential to have good infrastructures, such as open-access hydrogen pipelines and terminals. Because of this, the port is aiming to expand terminal capacity for existing and new hydrogen carriers at both port sites. The government is also funding a network of hydrogen pipelines that will connect ports to Belgian industrial areas and Germany by 2028.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nLocal production<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nLocal production of hydrogen will also take place at the Zeebrugge and Antwerp port platforms. Zeebrugge has wind farms and natural gas infrastructure, making it the ideal location for the construction of a green hydrogen production plant. Fluxys and Eoly are responsible for the construction of this plant under the name HyoffWind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nPlug, an American company, will build a green hydrogen production plant in Antwerp at the circular hotspot NextGen District, with its location near Europe’s largest chemical cluster set to play a significant role.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nJacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, said: “Together with our partners in organisations such as the Hydrogen Import Coalition, and the major players on our port platform, we are investing in infrastructure and projects to accelerate the import, transport, and production of green hydrogen. Co-operation with, and the appropriate support from the government, is key to this. I therefore sincerely welcome this revised strategy that provides concrete direction, recognises imports as a pillar of our energy and resource supply, and demonstrates our commitment to working with industry on the development of solutions to potential challenges that may lie in our path.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nPrime Minister Alexander De Croo added: “Together with all stakeholders from government and industry, we have developed a focused strategy built on all the know-how that Belgium has accumulated over the past decades. We want to seize our potential to become a European leader in hydrogen, by ensuring the security of hydrogen supply by the second half of this decade, strengthening our technological leadership, developing a hydrogen market, and turning Belgium into a leading, continental hub for hydrogen. We believe hydrogen will play a key role in our wish to redraw the energy fundamentals of our entire continent post-Ukraine.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Port of Antwerp-Bruges is set to play a vital role in Belgium’s revised hydrogen strategy through the production of green hydrogen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":26410,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24204],"tags":[24134,24413],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Port of Antwerp-Bruges key to Belgium's green hydrogen strategy<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n