Port of Rotterdam, PortLiner to construct electrolyte bunkering station

The Port of Rotterdam Authority and inland shipping operator PortLiner have signed a contract for the construction of a charging and storage pontoon for flow batteries in the Hartelkanaal.

From this bunkering station, PortLiner will supply electrically powered inland vessels with flow batteries.

Together with partners Vattenfall and Greenchoice, PortLiner has developed an innovative concept for zero-emission shipping based on flow batteries.

In flow batteries, electricity is charged in a liquid (electrolyte). On board a ship, the electricity is then extracted from the liquid and used to propel the ship. The discharged electrolyte is then exchanged for a charged electrolyte and the discharged electrolyte is recharged, according to the company.

Due to the growing demand for electrically powered inland vessels, the shipping operator decided to expand its operations in the port of Rotterdam by constructing the electrolyte bunkering station.

The Hartelkanaal was chosen as the site in the port of Rotterdam. The pontoon is to be supplied with green power (wind energy) from Greenchoice’s adjacent wind farm.

Construction is set to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, with the completion of the Netherlands’ first electrolyte bunkering station expected in the first quarter of 2024.

In a separate statement, the Port of Rotterdam revealed it has partnered with Duisburg port to develop hydrogen infrastructure.