Uniper announced that it has selected Plug Power Inc. to design the electrolyser technology for Uniper’s Maasvlakte site in the port of Rotterdam. Uniper’s flagship project, H2Maasvlakte, plans to bring 100 MW of plug-in electrolysis capacity into operation to produce green hydrogen by 2026, rapidly increasing that capacity to 500 MW by 2030.
Decarbonizing the largest carbon-emitting area in the Netherlands
The Port of Rotterdam area, which includes the Maasvlakte, is the largest carbon-emitting industrial hub in the Netherlands. In 2021, the area emitted 23.4 Mtonnes of CO2. Decarbonization of this area would contribute significantly to the overall Dutch goal of reaching net zero by 2050.
Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam, said, “Uniper has embarked on a journey to significantly reduce its emissions. We are very pleased with the measures taken by Uniper. As a port authority, we support, stimulate and help Rotterdam’s businesses to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Treaty in a number of ways, including the timely implementation of infrastructure such as a hydrogen pipeline network. Projects like Uniper’s help meet climate goals, but also contribute to a strong future for businesses.”
A promising partnership
As part of this agreement, Plug will supply 10 prefabricated PEM (proton exchange membrane) electrolyzer arrays for Uniper’s H2Maasvlakte project. Plug’s mature battery cell technology was selected by Uniper for this project.
Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug, said, “The H2Maasvlakte project marks an important step in Europe’s transition to more sustainable localized energy in response to geopolitical risks and climate change. Plug is fully committed to a green hydrogen future and our electrolyzer technology has a proven track record of helping customers produce green hydrogen on a large scale. Our partnership with Uniper validates Plug’s investment in strengthening our presence in the EU to provide much needed energy security to the European market.”
Axel Wietfeld, CEO of Uniper Hydrogen, said, “Uniper is striving to have a carbon neutral portfolio by 2035. Our flagship project H2Maasvlakte makes a significant contribution to this.
