Air Products’ green hydrogen project at the Port of Rotterdam has received approval from the European Commission to qualify for a subsidy under the fourth Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) program for hydrogen (Hy2Move).
In mid-2022, Air Products and Gunvor Petroleum Rotterdam announced their plans to jointly develop an import terminal for ammonia, along with a facility to convert it back into hydrogen. At that time, Air Products indicated that securing IPCEI project recognition was crucial for financing. With the recent approval by the EC, the project has taken a significant step forward. The companies had projected that the import terminal would begin supplying its first green hydrogen by 2026.
The IPCEI Hy2Move program involves a collective contribution of 1.4 billion euros from Member States to various projects, with an expected investment of 3.3 billion euros from the business sector. A total of 11 companies, participating in 13 different projects, are eligible for this subsidy.
The Hy2Move program targets multiple segments of the hydrogen value chain, including:
- Development of hydrogen applications in mobility and transport, particularly in heavy road transport, shipping, and aviation. This includes the use of fuel cells in heavy transport.
- Advancement of high-efficiency fuel cell technology for transport via ships and heavy locomotives.
- Creation of hydrogen storage solutions in vehicles, such as lightweight hydrogen tanks for aircraft.
- Development of technologies to produce hydrogen specifically for mobility and transport applications.
