CO2 transport and storage project Porthos: continuation greenlit

Source: Symbolic picture by Dimitrisvetsikas1969 on Pixabay

The first significant CO2 transport and storage project in the Netherlands can proceed now that the Council of State has approved the Porthos project’s environmental impact assessment. The Council of State reached the conclusion that the ecological study demonstrated that Porthos’ nitrogen deposition has no significant effect on adjacent natural areas. Porthos is actively formulating the final investment decision. The goal is to begin construction early in 2024.

This stems from a 16 August 2023 ruling by the Administrative Law Division of the Council of State.

Storing CO2 in empty gas fields beneath the North Sea seabed will enable large quantities of CO2 to be removed from the atmosphere at a low cost within the short term. Due to Porthos, 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 will be captured and permanently deposited annually. This makes CO2 storage an essential option for industry to contribute to the Dutch government’s climate objectives. At the same time, industry is endeavoring to transition to renewable energy and raw material-based processes. The Porthos system’s construction will take approximately two years. Porthos will likely be operational by 2026.

Source:

Relief for the roads in Germany’s NRW: New service enables shift of truck transports to rail and waterways

Source: Symbolic picture by Geralt on Pixabay

Up to 27,000 fewer truck trips on Ruhr and South Westphalia highways.

DeltaPort, duisport, the Port of Dortmund, and the Siegen-Wittgenstein district railroad will soon establish a rail and inland waterway system that will allow a significant proportion of truck traffic in North Rhine-Westphalia to be shifted from road to rail and waterways as part of the “LOG4NRW” project. LOG stands for “logistics,” and “4”, which is pronounced “four” in English, stands for “logistics for North Rhine-Westphalia.”

The partners made the announcement on the 14^th of August 2023 in Siegen. The project is supported by Oliver Krischer, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Transport.

The new transportation service might eliminate up to 27,000 truck trips. The first trains are planned to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The “LOG4NRW” project’s goal is to shift source and destination traffic in Germany’s most populous state to alternate modes of transportation (ship/rail). The project partners are currently attempting to execute the concept idea in the short term as part of their collaboration with the world’s largest inland port Duisport.

Source(in German):

Duisport

FPS converts second vessel into H2 barge

Source: Symbolic picture by ArtisticOperations on Pixabay

Future Proof Shipping is converting a second vessel, the “FPS Waal,” to hydrogen propulsion with 0% emissions.

The container ship is currently docked at Holland Shipyards in Werkendam, where the conversion to a hydrogen-powered, zero-emission vessel will commence.

This is the second time an extant vessel has been converted. Initial installation of a fuel cell on the “FPS Maas” The 110-meter-long, 11.45-meter-wide vessel, renamed “H2 Barge 1,” is operated by BCTN and chartered by Nike EMEA. The vessel shuttles between Rotterdam and the inland terminal in Meerhout several times per week.

The “Waal” will soon follow. The combustion engines will be removed and replaced with the new propulsion system. This encompasses a PEM fuel cell, hydrogen storage, battery packs, and an electric propulsion system. Future emissions of 2,000 t CO2 equivalents per year will be eliminated due to the conversion.

FPS plans to have ten hydrogen-powered ships by 2028.

Source(In German):

https://binnenschifffahrt-online.de/2023/08/featured/30713/fps/