The partners will focus on developing storage infrastructure that enables further distribution of hydrogen to end-users, for instance via pipeline, vessels, road and rail, contributing toward security of supply in Northwest Europe.

The cooperation includes import projects for hydrogen through green ammonia, liquid organic hydrogen carriers and liquid hydrogen technologies. The first import streams into Germany and the Netherlands are expected by 2025.

According to the companies, open access logistics infrastructure that is available to all market parties is most effective, both from the perspective of cost and environmental footprint. It can also further accelerate the import and use of green energy to a wide range of end markets, they added.

This latest agreement follows an announcement last month by Vopak and Gasunie that they had joined forces with terminal operator HES International to develop an import facility for green ammonia as a hydrogen carrier in the Port of Rotterdam. The ACE Terminal will operate on the Maasvlakte and be operational from 2026.

Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist