Interview
Constructing the pipeline
Hynetwork Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gasunie, is developing a new hydrogen pipeline in the Port of Rotterdam. This pipeline will be the first part of the Dutch hydrogen network.
Jan Willem Rongen and United States Ambassador, Shefali Razdan Duggal. Photo courtesy of the US embassy.
Jan Willem Rongen explains: ‘We will lay 32 kilometres of pipeline between the conversion park on the Tweede Maasvlakte and Pernis. Eventually, this hydrogen pipeline will be connected to Hydrogen Network Netherlands. We are building the pipeline so various market players – both producers and customers – can connect to it. The idea is to connect many market parties in the Botlek-Europoort area to this hydrogen pipeline. The goal is to have the first hydrogen flow through the pipe by the end of 2025.’ The biggest challenge of the project Rongen: ‘There are still some complicated pieces to the project. In Pernis, the pipeline route has to cross a rail line and a fence. That’s normally not so challenging, but the available space there is very limited. We have to deal with a lot of other parties’ cables and pipes. This stretch is no more than 600 metres, but it may be the biggest challenge of the entire project. Fortunately, we are used to these kinds of challenges at Gasunie. We know how to lay pipelines safely, and we know the area well.’
Searching for innovative solutions ‘The tender process was also stressful. The permit requirements regarding nitrogen deposits were very challenging. As a result, there was even a time when contractors had serious doubts as to whether they would be able to meet the requirements. Moreover, as Gasunie, we have set a strong target for limiting CO2 emissions. Both the contractors and Gasunie had to search for innovative solutions to ultimately accomplish this and meet the permit requirements.’ Driving force for sustainability ‘Contractors have to get to work with zero- or low-emission equipment. And what about all the logistics around that?! Think of charging battery packs or buying hydrogen as fuel for the equipment. It’s great to see that most contractors were already working on sustainability. But switching completely isn’t something you do overnight. It’s very cool that as the commissioning authority for this project, we can be the driving force behind making the pipeline construction sector more sustainable. You see that the market behind this is also gaining momentum. They are starting to produce more low-emission machines, making them more commonplace again.’
‘The contractor that was awarded the contract, Visser & Smit Hanab (VSH), has their own low-emission equipment that helps them reduce emissions. And they work with special biofuels to reduce CO2. During the work, we will monitor CO2 emissions and hold the contractor to their promise.’
Everyone in the vicinity needs to tell each other what is going on ‘We are fortunate to be in a pipeline corridor controlled by the municipality of Rotterdam. That means we don’t have to deal with a variety of property owners. But we do have to deal with industry in the area. For example, if one of those companies wants to do major maintenance, they will shut down the plant for a few weeks and a few hundred people will come to the site. This affects the traffic situation around our route. They are not expecting delays due to our activities. And on our side, this can also create challenges. We need to avoid that. That’s why we’re in regular contact with parties in the vicinity to coordinate everything. In this effort, we are also working with the Port of Rotterdam. They can and are happy to help. It’s great to see that everyone is so driven to make this project a success. You can sense the euphoric mood now that we can really start building.’
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It’s great to see that everyone is so driven to make this project a success. You can sense the euphoric mood now that we can really start building.
Visser & Smit Hanab
V&SH Pipelines & Industry has been commissioned to construct the first section of the hydrogen network. The construction will involve the use of sustainable, emission-free equipment. The first part of the hydrogen network, a stretch of more than 30 kilometres, runs in Rotterdam from the Second Maasvlakte to Pernis, and is expected to be ready for operation in 2025. The national network will eventually have a length of 1,200 kilometres and will largely consist of existing natural gas pipelines that will be reused. The network will have connections to large-scale hydrogen production facilities, import terminals in the seaports and companies at home and abroad that will use hydrogen to become more sustainable.