The Port of Rotterdam, together with the Province of Zuid Holland and more than 40 partners have launched an ambitious project for emission-free inland and near-shore shipping on hydrogen. Condor H₂ aims to facilitate the sailing of 50 emission-free vessels by 2030, targeting a CO₂ reduction of 100,000 tons per year.

Condor H₂ will provide fuel-cells with a battery pack as well as hydrogen storage on a pay-per-use basis to enable ships to operate emission-free with limited up-front investments for ship owners. The hydrogen will be delivered in ‘tanktainers’ which can be easily loaded on board vessels and quickly swapped when empty, allowing maximum flexibility for longer journeys.

To realize this, the project brings together 6 ports and more than 40 partners, spanning the entire value chain from hydrogen suppliers and distributors to technology providers and shipowners. The goal is to have the first vessels with the Condor H₂ system sailing on the route in 2025.

“Hydrogen is already being tested in shipping, but the time has come to take action towards large-scale implementation,” says Nico van Dooren, Director New Business of the Port of Rotterdam. “By offering a modular, scalable and affordable solution, Condor H₂ will make it technically and economically feasible to switch to zero-emission shipping on the key shipping routes in north-west Europe.”

“It is promising to see the developments RH₂INE partners now are making within this purpose driven network of like-minded partners. Condor finds itself in a network of frontrunners who are willing and able to scale up”, says Jeannette Baljeu, Deputy of the Province of Zuid Holland.

The project is part of the RH₂INE network, a cooperation between ports, regional governments and market parties along the Rhine corridor, ranging from Belgium and the Netherlands up to Switzerland.

Condor H₂ is driven by a Steering Group of the Province of Zuid Holland, Port of Rotterdam, WaterstofNet and Rabobank. The project is also supported by a range of other partners from industry and shipping, including:

Air Products, Ballard, Blue H Engineering, bp, Concordia Damen, De Vlaamse Waterweg, DFDS, EICB, ENGIE, Eoly Energy, FinCo Fuel, Future Proof Shipping, H2Storage, HTS, INEOS, Linde, Marin, Maritime Academy Harlingen, Naval Inland Navigation, Nedstack, Municipality of Nijmegen, North Sea Port, NPRC, NPROXX, Port of  Duisburg, Port of Amsterdam, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the Province of Noord Holland, Rotterdam Shortsea Terminal, Samskip, Schenk Tanktransport, Shell, STC, Theo Pouw, UMOE, VT Group, VITRITE Middelburg,  and Zepp Solutions