Plug to build hydrogen plant at Port of Antwerp-Bruges

Plug Power Inc. will build a 35 tonnes/day green hydrogen generation plant at Port of Antwerp-Bruges in the heart of Europe.

Plug signed a 30-year concession agreement to build the plant at the Belgian port, the second largest in Europe. Plug plans to erect a 100-megawatt green hydrogen plant, using its own electrolyzer and liquefaction technology, on 28 acres of land leased under the agreement. Plug will produce up to 12,500 tons per year of liquid and gaseous green hydrogen for the European market.

Construction of the plant will begin upon completion of the permitting process, anticipated in late 2023. Initial production of green hydrogen is expected in late 2024, and plant commissioning will be in 2025.

Port of Antwerp-Bruges sits in a strategic location in Europe. The centre of the largest chemical industry cluster in Europe and close to the North Sea provides transportation connections to Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, and France. It is less than an hour’s drive to Brussels, the capital of Europe.

Port of Antwerp-Bruges, set to become a major hydrogen hub for Europe, has plans to be a lighthouse port for climate-neutral infrastructure. Through its new green hydrogen plant, Plug is committed to playing a pivotal role in helping the Port of Antwerp-Bruges achieve this ambition.

The site location provides the opportunity for a ready supply of electricity from on-site and site-adjacent wind turbines generating dozens of megawatts, with an electric interconnection point less than a mile away. In addition, the site offers water, road, rail, and pipeline access for the delivery of green hydrogen to customers. An open-access hydrogen pipeline will be built along with the site, and Plug has signed a contract with Fluxys to engage in a feasibility study for enabling a connection to the pipeline, which will be part of a European open-access hydrogen backbone.

Plug will build in the port’s NextGen District, an area dedicated to companies supporting the circular economy. Leveraging the cluster being assembled in the NextGen district, Plug is exploring partnerships to complete the circular use of wastewater expelled during the production of green hydrogen.

More than 1,500 acres of covered warehousing at Port of Antwerp-Bruges support heavy manufacturing industries. Plug will contribute to decarbonizing the logistics flows of the port with material handling solutions, fuel cell vans through HYVIA – a joint venture between Plug and Renault, and stationary power solutions for shore power.

Europe is core to Plug’s strategy, reflected in multiple recent investments, such as opening a service and logistics centre in Duisburg, Germany, the acquisition of Netherlands-based Frames Group, and the inauguration of a hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicle production plant with Renault in Flins, France.

Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug, said, “As Europe grapples with the challenges of climate change and energy security, our agreement with Port of Antwerp-Bruges will deliver much-needed natively generated, green hydrogen to local markets.”

Minister-President of Flanders Jan Jambon said, “Plug’s choice for Antwerp is the result of the strong relationship that I, the Flemish Government, Flanders Investment & Trade, and the Port have built with the company. At the same time, it confirms the role that Flanders plays in renewable energy.”

Belgium’s Minister of Energy Tinne Van der Straeten, said, “It is an objective that is well reflected in the federal hydrogen vision and strategy ‘Green hydrogen for a clean industry.’ That strategy is built on four pillars: positioning Belgium as an import and transit hub in Europe, becoming a leader in hydrogen, establishing a robust hydrogen market and investing in cooperation as a key success factor.”

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp-Bruges, added, “Their project is exactly what we have in mind when it comes to circular economy. We are giving hydrogen every opportunity as an energy carrier and fuel and are therefore committing ourselves as an active pioneer in the hydrogen economy. I thank Plug Power for its trust and all parties involved.”