Port of Amsterdam and Port of Cork team up to establish new green energy supply chain
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the ports of Amsterdam and Cork to stimulate and facilitate the production of green hydrogen and distribution into mainland Europe. The agreement allows Ireland to maximise its renewable energy output and establishes a green energy supply chain by providing a necessary route to access the greater European market through the Port of Amsterdam.
The green gateway to Europe
On September 13, 2022 the Memorandum of Understanding was signed as part of a major offshore wind mission organised by the Netherlands Embassy in Ireland. In the race to provide cleaner alternative energy sources, Ireland has increased its potential of offshore wind energy to be used in green hydrogen production. As a country with more wind than energy demand, the Irish turned to their Dutch neighbours for help in establishing a new green energy supply chain to distribute their renewable fuel in mainland Europe.
This move aligns with the Port of Amsterdam’s commitment to leading the clean energy transition and joins their other sustainability initiatives including investment in biofuel facilities and pledge to stop handing coal by 2030.
Achieving Net Zero
Achieving the ambitious energy goals set forth by the European Union, including becoming the first continent to achieve Net Zero, will require all member states to work together. In the REPowerEU plan, released in May by the European Commission, green hydrogen plays an important role in reducing the dependency on fossil fuels and speeding along the energy transition.
Of the agreement, Port of Amsterdam Director of Business Development Cargo, Gert-Jan Nieuwenhuizen, says: “It underlies the strong ties between Ireland and our port and the increasing importance of green hydrogen. Our priorities are to make green hydrogen accessible to the industrial clusters in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area and to serve as an access point for the European hinterland, including regions with potentially high demand in Germany…The Port of Amsterdam will offer a route to market for Irish green hydrogen, both in our port itself, and in the rest of Europe.”
