Highlights: Top 10 energy and raw materials transition projects
Reading time: 4 minutes
The energy and raw materials transition is a long-term process. However, we are and will remain committed to our goal of a CO2-neutral port by 2050. Which projects are really going to make a difference? View the current top 10 energy and raw materials transition projects, in no particular order.
- Neste bio-fuels refinery doubles production capacity
- Air Liquide builds plant for green hydrogen
- Holland Hydrogen I: from wind to hydrogen
- Blue Circle Olefins chooses Rotterdam to build 100% circular Olefins plant
- Shore power gaining momentum: three milestones
- Porthos CO2 pipeline laid on seabed and entrenched
- Port of Rotterdam prepared for safe bunkering of ammonia following practical testing
- Last section of 32-kilometre hydrogen pipeline welded together
- Pioneers present the future of inland shipping: batteries on the water
- Samskip and port of Rotterdam work on liquid hydrogen powered vessels
Neste bio-fuels refinery doubles production capacity
Neste is expanding its production capacity in Rotterdam by 1.3 million tonnes to 2.7 million tonnes of renewable products per year. This includes a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per year. This expansion is expected to be completed in 2027. Neste's bio-fuels refinery on Rotterdam's Maasvlakte is already the largest bio-fuel refinery in Europe, with a current renewable products production capacity of 1.4 million tonnes per year.
Air Liquide builds plant for green hydrogen
Air Liquide has started construction of ELYgator, a plant for the production of green (renewable) hydroThe first contours of the ELYgator, a plant for the production of green (renewable) hydrogen from Air Liquide, are visible. With a planned capacity of 200 MW, the plant is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2027. Alongside, there is room for the development of H2 Next, a green hydrogen project announced by HYCC.
Photo: Martens Multimedia.
Holland Hydrogen I: from wind to hydrogen
Shell's Holland Hydrogen 1 (HH1), Europe’s largest green hydrogen plant, has risen on the Maasvlakte. With the recent completion of the ‘golden weld’, HH1 is now officially connected to the Dutch hydrogen network, which is currently being constructed between the Maasvlakte and the Rotterdam Chemicals Park in Pernis.
Blue Circle Olefins chooses Rotterdam to build 100% circular Olefins plant
Blue Circle Olefins has selected Rotterdam as the site to develop a commercial Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) production plant. If the facility becomes operational in 2030, it will reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from plastics (PP, PE and PVC) by more than 80% compared to current fossil-based production processes.
Shore power gaining momentum: three milestones
Cruise Port Shore Power's shore power installation for cruise ships docking in the centre of Rotterdam was officially opened in 2025. The municipality of Rotterdam and the Port of Rotterdam Authority also published a joint, updated shore power strategy. The ambitious strategy provides a clear roadmap for the next decade and focuses on accelerating the scale-up of shore power facilities in the port. At the beginning of 2026, Rotterdam Shore Power announced that ABB will be responsible for the construction and maintenance of shore power installations at three deepsea container terminals.
Porthos CO2 pipeline laid on seabed and entrenched
The installation of the approximately 20-kilometre-long offshore pipeline for the Porthos CO2 transport and storage project has been completed. The pipeline will transport captured CO2 from the Rotterdam port industry to storage reservoirs under the North Sea. The collecting pipeline through the port area is also already in the pipeline corridor.
Air Products has started the installation of CO2 capture modules for the HyCO4 hydrogen plant. Thanks to its connection to Porthos, Air Products can produce blue hydrogen, contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions in the port of Rotterdam, without compromising on industrial capacity.
Port of Rotterdam prepared for safe bunkering of ammonia following practical testing
Trammo, OCI and James Fisher Fendercare carried out ammonia transfers between two vessels at the quay of a terminal in the port of Rotterdam. It is an important step in preparing the port for vessels that will run on green ammonia in the future and want to bunker this fuel in the port of Rotterdam.
32 km hydrogen pipeline now connected to Holland Hydrogen 1
The 32-kilometre-long hydrogen pipeline between Maasvlakte and Pernis has been fully welded and was filled and tested with green hydrogen earlier this year. The connection to Holland Hydrogen 1 now marks the first direct link between a producer and the Dutch hydrogen network. This marks the start of an infrastructure that will ultimately connect the major industrial regions in the Netherlands and neighbouring countries such as Germany and Belgium.
Pioneers present the future of inland shipping: batteries on the water
Zero Emission Services, Inland Terminals Group and Nedcargo are launching a unique collaboration. Together, they are making battery-electric sailing scalable and attractive for the entire supply chain.
Samskip and port of Rotterdam work on liquid hydrogen powered vessels
Shortsea shipping company Samskip is building two vessels that will run on liquid hydrogen from 2027. It is a first: these will be the first container ships worldwide to do this. The ambition is that vessels will soon be able to bunker liquid hydrogen in Rotterdam.
In our white paper, read how liquid hydrogen is produced and transported, and discover the latest developments in Rotterdam.
World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition
From 19 to 21 May, Rotterdam will once again stage the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition. As a host sponsor, we support the global platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration on hydrogen.