HyPort, the first H2 filling station in Europe where on-site H2 production and H2 storage also take place.
Renewable energy: the engine behind RH2INE
‘Hydrogen gives inland navigation a new future’
Hydrogen (H) is the lightest chemical element on earth. It exists only in combination with other elements, for example with another H element. H2 molecules are powerful energy carriers, although very volatile. It requires expert knowledge to make this energy carrier available, for instance, to inland vessels. We let the specialists explain, the suppliers of ‘molecules’, as they are called in their profession. ENGIE, which is rapidly developing hydrogen production from renewable energy in north-western Europe, and Air Liquide, the global supplier of industrial and medical gases/molecules.
ENGIE ENGIE recently joined RH₂INE as a new partner. “Because we believe that inland waterway shipping is a promising sector for the use of green hydrogen”, says Alexis Licha, H₂ Maritime & Aviation business development director at ENGIE in Paris. He refers to the main advantages of inland vessels, namely high fuel efficiency and a good track record as a safe means of transport. Also, he says, inland shipping infrastructure is easier to decarbonise than land transport. “The total length of waterways is far fewer kilometres than the endless roads that criss-cross Europe.”
ENGIE is interested in sharing its knowledge of sustainable hydrogen with, and learning from partners actively involved in building the emission-free shipping corridor along the Rhine. With a growing number of renewable energy projects in its home country France, as well as in Belgium, northern Germany and the Netherlands, the energy company would like to see the green, hydrogen-based Rhine corridor being connected to the French canal network. “Once the Canal Seine Nord is completed, hopefully around 2030, the Rhine corridor will have a fast shipping connection to Paris and LeHavre. This will create an even larger
network of waterways in north-western Europe from which inland navigation could benefit enormously”, Alexis said.
Milestone “We think we have reached an important milestone, now that four or five hydrogen-powered vessels will sail on inland waterways. They show that building cargo ships powered by hydrogen fuel cells is technically feasible. As for the revenue model, we still have a hard nut to crack.”
Alexis expects that much will be learned from each other through the RH₂INE platform as we go along. Because using hydrogen as an energy source in the transport sector is complex. “You have to try it out in real life”, stresses the H₂ expert. “You can’t just rely on designs and calculations on paper. With the ships on the water, we are going to learn how it really works and what we need to change. We are definitely entering a new phase of development.”
Alexis is relieved that after much deliberation within the so-called CONDOR H₂ working group, a standardised solution has been found for storing the ‘H₂-fuel’ on the ship. This is done in a 20-foot tank container format, or H₂-tanktainer. Now discussions are continuing within RH₂INE and the working group to address the logistics of tank containers for barges. “Whatever the outcome will be, we want to be part of the solution”, says Alexis, adding that the process could go a bit faster.
Alexis is convinced that sustainably produced hydrogen is absolutely the way forward in the drive towards zero-emission transport. Other low-carbon options such as HVO and biofuels will not be widely available for shipping in the future. The supply of raw materials you need to make them is inherently limited. So the market will prefer to supply these fuels to the aviation sector, as other low-carbon alternatives are not a viable option for that sector.
RH2INE • 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144
