Business Delegation on Green Hydrogen to Rotterdam and Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region

Together with the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC), the Indo-German Energy Forum Support Office (IGEF-SO) organised an Indian business delegation to the Netherlands and Germany from 13 to 18 May 2024 on the topic of green hydrogen. The tour featured a visit to the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition, which took place from 13 to 15 May in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition 2024 in Rotterdam

On the first day of the delegation, a guided tour of the World Hydrogen Exhibition enabled the delegation to network with experts from companies with a particular interest in India, who presented their activities and explored possibilities for future cooperation and exchange between the delegates and their respective companies. The group visited show booths of companies such as VDMA, SFC Energy, Uniper Hydrogen GmbH, Linde, Siemens Energy, Thyssenkrupp Nucera and RWE.

For the first time, India had set up its own pavilion at the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition. The Indian pavilion, hosted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India, was one of the largest pavilions at the exhibition and was inaugurated by Shri Bhupinder Singh Bhalla Secretary, MNRE, on 12 May. On the occasion of the visit of three Indian delegations with high-level representatives from the Government of India and green hydrogen companies, IGEF-SO in collaboration with MNRE, the Government of the Netherlands, the Embassy of India in The Hague, the Port of Rotterdam, the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, the European Union and the Green Hydrogen Organisation organised two exclusive networking events focusing on green hydrogen project development in India on 14 May on the sidelines of the World Hydrogen Exhibition & Summit 2024.

Shri Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, Secretary, MNRE, underlined India’s commitment to become a leading green hydrogen export hub at the EU-India Networking Lunch. In the evening, business representatives from India and the EU exchanged ideas on initiating joint green hydrogen projects. Participating companies and institutions expressed their interest in Indo-EU green hydrogen cooperation and provided insights into current project developments and future ideas. 

To gain a better insight into developments in Europe, Mr. Johannes Eng, Corporate Development and Strategy, Port of Duisburg, gave a presentation on the development, use and import of green hydrogen in the Rhine-Ruhr region and beyond. He gave an overview of the forecast demand for green energy from the perspective of a port developer. The Port of Duisburg plays a key role in the storage, conversion, bunkering and distribution of green hydrogen and its derivatives within Europe. The port is currently planning to expand its infrastructure and tank storage capacity to supply industry with hydrogen and its derivatives. It is also developing local hydrogen production facilities as an integral part of a coherent hydrogen ecosystem, which Mr. Eng presented to the delegates.

After learning and discussing port infrastructure in Europe in general, the delegates were able to get a first-hand impression of the green hydrogen developments in Europe at the Port of Rotterdam. The tour of the port of Rotterdam included a stop at the ammonia terminals of Koole, OCI and Gunvor and a visit to a transformer station, supplying offshore wind energy for future green hydrogen projects. It also offered views of the Hynetwork hydrogen pipeline, the backbone of all hydrogen projects in the Port of Rotterdam. It passed the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam, Europe's largest refinery with a capacity of 400,000 barrels per day. The group was also able to see the latest developments at the largest planned electrolyser field in Europe with a total capacity of 650 MW, including projects from Shell, BP and Air Liquide. The group also visited the SIF offshore wind foundation manufacturing and storage facility, including the GE Haliade-X 14 MW wind turbine.

Green hydrogen developments in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region

After a successful visit to the World Hydrogen Summit, the group travelled to the Rhine-Ruhr area to gain further insight into green hydrogen developments in Europe.

On 16 May, the delegation visited WILO S.E. in Dortmund and the Hydrogen Competence Centre in Herten. The Wilo Group is a multinational technology group and one of the world's leading premium suppliers of pumps and pump systems for building services, water management and industry. The H2POWERPLANT at the Wilo factory site offers sustainable energy in the form of green hydrogen when needed. The H2POWERPLANT uses electrolysis to convert water into green hydrogen using rooftop solar from the factory buildings. When needed, the stored hydrogen can be converted back into electrical energy using a fuel cell and can be used at the factory on-site. The waste heat of the electrolyser can be further used for the heating network. An insightful company presentation was followed by an augmented reality factory tour.

The Hydrogen Competence Centre Herten is a former coal mine where modern systems and components of the hydrogen infrastructure can be tested. In recent years, the site of the former Ewald coal mine has attracted several companies and institutions specialising in renewable energies, particularly in the field of hydrogen and fuel cell technology. Together they form the Herten Hydrogen Competence Centre. Technical experts offered a glimpse into the ongoing projects and the companies and their test facilities at the centre. 

On 17 May, the delegation continued to explore hydrogen, fuel cells and electrolysis at the ZBT (Zentrum für Brennstoffzellen Technik GmbH) in Duisburg, Germany. Mr. Henning Winter of the ZBT welcomed the delegation. The exchange with ZBT experts focused on the technology and up-scaling of electrolysis, hydrogen applications and fuel cell technology. The group also visited the hydrogen test field. Dr. Theresa Schredelseker gave a presentation on the current developments in the field of hydrogen in Germany and Europe and introduced the Institute and its facilities. She gave an insight into the work of the ZBT and its current ongoing projects. Ms. Deborah Rapp complemented the presentation with their activities in the field of standardisation on hydrogen applications (RCS - Regulations, Codes and Standards). Afterwards, Mr. Lukas Willmeroth gave the guests a tour of the hydrogen test field and explained, among other things, the hydrogen testing refuelling station.

Overall, the tour gave the participants the opportunity to get an in-depth look at various developments in the green hydrogen sector in Europe. The visit to the World Hydrogen Exhibition & Summit 2024 also allowed participants to network and explore new opportunities for further collaborations.