A hydrogen refuelling station for ships has opened in the port of Ostend (West Flanders). Hydrogen is more environmentally friendly than other fuels because it produces no emissions.
The new hydrogen refuelling station is located in the Ostend outport. Kristof Verlinden of JERA Nex bp compares it to a refuelling station for cars. ‘It's like refuelling with petrol or diesel or charging an electric car. We have a point where ships connect to refuel with green hydrogen. Of course, we have to take into account that ships move with the tides.’
The green hydrogen used in Ostend is produced from renewable electricity in France and Germany. ‘That hydrogen is bunkered, buffered and pressurised at our filling station to serve ships quickly. The hydrogen is stored in large tanks.’
Smaller vessels
The filling station in Ostend is primarily intended for smaller vessels operating in the coastal shipping sector. These include vessels used for the construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms.
In a first phase, only one ship will be able to refuel with hydrogen. That is the Hydrocat 48 operated by a company called Windcat. ‘That ship sails between Ostend and the Belwind wind farm in the North Sea. We will now be able to supply it ourselves.’
Hydrogen currently plays only a minor role in the maritime world. ‘It is a young market. We certainly need all the support we can get from everyone who believes in it. We want to prove that hydrogen is a viable alternative energy source in shipping’ says Verlinden.