Shell has contracted Thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers to supply a 200MW alkaline electrolysis (AE) facility next to the port of Rotterdam.

Thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers—a joint venture between steel firm Thyssenkrupp and technology company Industrie De Nora—will engineer, procure and fabricate the plant based on its 20MW AE module.

“We are looking forward to supporting building a major hydrogen hub in central Europe and contributing to Europe’s transition to green energy,” says Christoph Noeres, head of green hydrogen at Thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers.

“With our large-scale standard module size, we will further strengthen Shell’s hydrogen strategy.”

Shell’s Holland Hydrogen 1 project will be located on the Maasvlakte, the man-made port extension next to the port of Rotterdam.

Decarbonising operations

The plant is expected to produce over 17,500t/yr of green hydrogen, which will initially be used to decarbonise Shell’s refinery operations in nearby Pernis, as well as for local transport applications. Hydrogen will be transported through a 40km pipeline from the plant to Pernis—Europe’s largest refinery.

17,500t/yr – Targeted production capacity of facility

The facility will be powered by the Hollandse Kust offshore windfarm. Engineering firm Worley was last year awarded a services contract by Shell to work on the plant.

FID is expected in early 2022, with construction beginning after that and first production in 2024.

Refining firm Neste recently announced it will begin construction on a project to install a 2.4MW solid oxide high-temperature electrolyser at its renewable products refinery in Rotterdam.

Shell is also involved in a carbon capture and storage project called Porthos at the Port of Rotterdam alongside ExxonMobil and industrial gases firms Air Liquide and Air Products. The project aims to transport and store a combined 2.5mn t/yr of CO₂ from 2024.

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Author: Tom Young