Port of Bilbao and Port of Amsterdam, together with the Energy Agency of the Basque Government (EVE), Petronor, SkyNRG, Evos Amsterdam and Zenith Energy Terminals, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a renewable hydrogen corridor between Bilbao and Amsterdam.
The Dutch Minister for Climate and Energy Policy Rob Jetten said: “In order to realise a climate neutral energy system and a sustainable industry, the Netherlands and Europe have large hydrogen ambitions.
“International collaboration is essential to develop the hydrogen market and the associated infrastructure. Within the EU, Spain offers plenty of opportunities and is therefore one of our most important hydrogen partners. In the end, it is the companies that will truly need to make it happen. Important that this is already happening and that Dutch and Spanish companies are reaching shared agreements on the delivery of green hydrogen.”
The MoU states the parties will team up to develop a renewable hydrogen supply chain, focusing on production in the Basque Country and export to the Netherlands and the European hinterland through the port of Amsterdam. This fits with the wider Basque Hydrogen Strategy, developed by EVE, which is aimed at both local usage and international markets, and the Dutch government's stimulation of the production, import and use of hydrogen.
The port of Bilbao features multiple of these projects and will serve as a hub for the export of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives. The port of Bilbao is already an important European logistical centre.
This role can be leveraged for the ambitions of the Spanish government to become a key supplier of renewable hydrogen and e-fuels to, in particular, North-West Europe.
Carlos Alzaga, managing director of the Port of Bilbao Authority, said: “The Port of Bilbao is fully committed to the production, transport and use of renewable energies and supports and works together with those companies that are developing green sources of energies. And green hydrogen is one of the most important paths for that goal.”
Amsterdam and Bilbao to develop new European renewable hydrogen corridor
