Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Tata Steel and the Port of Amsterdam join together to study the feasibility of a large green hydrogen cluster in the Amsterdam region. The three parties reportedly consider green hydrogen as vital for reaching climate targets and building a more circular economy.
The parties will study the feasibility of a 100-megawatt water electrolysis facility able to produce up to 15,000 tons of hydrogen per year as well as oxygen at Tata Steel’s IJmuiden site, near Amsterdam. Using renewable electricity, the initial unit will enable a carbon saving of up to 350,000 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the emissions of more than 40,000 households. A final investment decision is expected in 2021.
Nouryon will operate the facility, while Tata Steel will use the oxygen to further enhance the sustainability of its production processes. The parties will jointly explore different ways to use hydrogen to turn steel mill emissions into useful chemicals and products. The Port of Amsterdam will focus on the infrastructure for further distribution of green hydrogen, which will be the basis for the development of new industries and zero-emission transport in the Amsterdam area.
“Green hydrogen is a realistic alternative for fossil-based raw materials and enables new forms of green chemistry, such as using steel mill gas, CO2 or waste to make plastics and move to new, circular value chains,” says Knut Schwalenberg, managing director industrial chemicals at Nouryon.
The recently presented Dutch Climate Law sets an ambitious CO2 reduction target of 49% by 2030 compared to 1990. The parties believe that green hydrogen can make a significant contribution towards this target and aim to reach sufficient scale to absorb all emissions from Tata Steel’s plant in IJmuiden and use it for the production of new materials. The development of the green hydrogen cluster will also enable emissions-free buses and heavy transport in the entire Amsterdam area.
For more information, visit: www.nouryon.com