Officially merged in April 2022, the port’s position in the international logistics chain and as a chemical cluster is seen as crucial in accelerating the market ramp-up of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

It’s already introducing alternative energy sources such as hydrogen and turning them into sustainable raw materials and fuel for the port’s chemical sector, but the port is also expected to play a vital role in the import and local production of green hydrogen.

Initial green hydrogen production will start in 2023 with a ramp-up through 2025-2027 for large volumes of green molecules coming in from overseas.

In the latest step forward for the port’s ambitions in this space, it has this week been announced as a member of the H2Global Foundation, which has set itself the goal of making green hydrogen acceptable as an energy substitute in Europe – thereby advancing the energy transition and independence from Russian gas supplies.

The aim of the H2Global Foundation is to promote and advance climate and environmental protection. One element in achieving the foundation’s purpose is the testing of an efficient funding programme for a rapid market ramp-up and import of green hydrogen and power-to-X (PtX) products.

The foundation has developed a competition-based double auction mechanism by which its subsidiary HINT.CO acts as an intermediary to purchase hydrogen and its derivatives worldwide. For the first time, the funding mechanism enables the economic, sustainable operation of PtX plants and thereby allows the industrial market ramp-up that is now required. Accordingly, H2Global differs from previous investment support programmes, which primarily provide investment subsidies to develop and test PtX technologies.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) is funding the future provision of green hydrogen through the initiative to the tune of around €900m.

Prior to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges coming on-board, companies such as Siemens Energy Global GmbH, Thyssenkrupp AG, Deutsche Bank AG and Uniper had already committed to the common goals of the H2Global Foundation. The clear message from the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, as Europe’s largest port for vehicle handling, the home of Europe’s largest integrated chemical cluster and a leading container port, is that it aligns well with the European and societal core of the H2Global idea.

This was a point reflected on by Markus Exenberger, Executive Director of the foundation, as he commented on the new heavyweight member now coming on-board.

“The idea behind H2Global is not a German idea, but a European idea that is pursuing the declared goal of accelerating the economic transition to carbon neutrality as well as independence from fossil fuels, as sourced from Russia, for example.

“As an energy and feedstock hub and a growing producer of green hydrogen, [the] Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a crucial factor for the logistics that enable the energy transition. Its decision to join the foundation is a sign that H2Global is a joint European and a global effort as well.”

Flemish Minister Jo Brouns (CD&V) is also pleased that the port can join with this support and said, “We are going to need sustainable hydrogen for the sustainability of our industry and heavy transport. But Flanders and Belgium are too small to produce our own hydrogen, so we always have to look at import. That’s why it’s important for the port, as a Flemish industrial cluster, to have a role in H2Global in order to participate with Flanders in this sustainable story.”

As Belgium’s largest economic engine, the port authority sees itself in a leading role in climate protection issues, which it intends to strengthen with massive investments in the energy transition and as the location of a hydrogen hub.