Port of Rotterdam can be promising European hub for renewable carbon
12-02-2025
Making the Port of Rotterdam an international hub for circular carbon offers benefits to the economy and climate of the Netherlands as well as Northwest Europe and the EU. TNO, together with industry organizations VEMOBIN (energy, mobility and industry) and VNCI (chemical industry) developed a ‘system vision’ for sustainable carbon in Rotterdam.
The study was commissioned by a broad consortium consisting of SmartPort, VEMOBIN, VNCI, Deltalinqs, Port of Rotterdam Authority, Municipality of Rotterdam and FieldLab Industrial Electrification (FLIE) in the perspective of the transition towards sustainable carbon sources.
The study shows that the strategic location of the Port of Rotterdam, with its well-developed infrastructure towards the hinterland and the ARRRA cluster (Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr-Area) puts the Netherlands in a strong position to become a leader in a circular carbon economy. The region also offers a solid knowledge base and concrete opportunities in the areas of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and renewable energy projects.
The system vision identifies promising carbon pathways and their integration into the energy system and summarizes the potential of waste, biomass and captured CO₂. It also identifies synergistic opportunities stemming from the fact that the chemical and fuel sectors both are interested in the same circular molecules and raw materials. When they join forces and exploit synergy benefits, they can produce circular carbon resources more efficiently and on a larger scale. Finally, the study identifies key challenges and makes a number of concrete recommendations to accelerate the transition to sustainable carbon.
Want to know more? Get in touch with Martijn de Graaff, Business Director Industrial Transformation and Power-2-X.
Read more (in Dutch): Rotterdamse haven als kansrijke Europese hub voor duurzame koolstof.
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