Top German steel mills work with Rotterdam port to develop hydrogen supply chains
German steel companies thyssenkrupp Steel and HKM and the Port of Rotterdam are investigating setting up international supply chains for hydrogen via Europe’s largest port.
In the course of their transformation paths towards climate-neutral steel making, thyssenkrupp Steel and HKM have made clear they will require large quantities of hydrogen to produce steel without coal. For decades, both companies have been importing coal, iron ore and other raw materials via their own terminal in Rotterdam, using inland barges as well as rail to transport it to their blast furnaces in Duisburg.
Together, the partners will explore hydrogen import opportunities via Rotterdam as well as a possible pipeline corridor between Rotterdam and thyssenkrupp Steel’s and HKM’s steel sites in Duisburg.
Cooperation between Rotterdam and Duisburg a can have a signalling effect to establish supply chains for energy transition
“The cooperation between Rotterdam as Europe’s largest port and Duisburg as Europe’s largest steel site can have a signalling effect to establish supply chains for the energy transition, building an important sustainable European industry and logistics cluster,” the Dutch port stated in a release.
The Port of Rotterdam is already investigating the import of hydrogen from a large number of countries and regions all over the world. Rotterdam is also setting up a carbon transport and storage system, Porthos, which is also being considered as a CO2 storage site for the production of blue hydrogen by the H2morrow steel project, which includes thyssenkrupp Steel as a partner as well.
