On Monday, September 30, 2024, policymakers, experts, and industry representatives gathered at the Haus der Unternehmer in Duisburg for the annual RH2INE conference, organized by NRW.Energy4Climate and the Province of South Holland. Ulrike Nagel moderated the event.
The theme of the conference was “Decarbonization of Inland Waterway Transport.”
On September 30, 2024, the annual RH2INE conference took place in Duisburg, focusing on the decarbonization of European inland waterway transport. Organizations from six countries discussed hydrogen infrastructure, financing for zero-emission vessels, and cross-border cooperation along the Rhine.
Key announcements included the establishment of a permanent secretariat at WaterstofNet in Belgium and a Dutch subsidy of more than 200 million euros from the Climate Fund. Workshops covered port infrastructure, a hydrogen tank container pool, and financing models such as “insetting” for zero-emission technologies.
Organizations from six European countries are now collaborating within this growing network. Here, they are joining forces to make European inland waterway transport carbon-free. Since 2019, intensive work has been underway to prepare for the upscaling of standardized hydrogen solutions. Provincial Executive Member Frederik Zevenbergen of the Province of South Holland and Michael Theben, head of the Climate Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy, Innovation, Digitalization, and Energy of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, shared updates on the steps and challenges involved in making hydrogen the fuel of the future for inland waterway transport. Topics on the agenda included accelerating the development of port infrastructure and securing financing for zero-emission vessels.
Since 2019, North Rhine-Westphalia and the province of South Holland have been working through the RH2INE initiative to decarbonize inland waterway transport in the Rhine-Alps-Mediterranean region. A new important step was announced on September 30 during the annual conference in Duisburg: With the establishment of a coordinating secretariat at the knowledge and collaboration platform WaterstofNet in Belgium, the initiative will have a permanent point of contact. Six regions and three ports will provide financial support for the new structure. Further milestones: Additional funding has been announced, and the first cross-border hydrogen-powered ship is about to make its maiden voyage.
In recent years, RH2INE has already achieved significant milestones with the development of hydrogen-powered ships and industrial standards for tank-tainers: hydrogen packaged within the standard dimensions of shipping containers. “The RH2INE program goes far beyond the Rhine as a transport artery. It’s about improving transportation in the industrial and logistical heart of Europe—for now and for the future. We are taking the steps now to leave our children a clean and sustainable transportation system,” said Zevenbergen. Consul General in Düsseldorf Hannah Tijmes delivered the opening remarks and addressed the attendees with an appeal: “We need pioneers like you, who are willing to take the initiative and tackle challenges. The RH2INE initiative demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration.”
Workshops
Three workshops were on the agenda in the morning. The first was dedicated to the development of a practical hydrogen infrastructure in European ports by assessing the current situation and identifying what is still needed to make this a reality. European regulations were discussed, as was the Duisburg port Duisport as a practical example. Attention was also given to fire safety regarding hydrogen, and the first hydrogen training center in Duisburg was introduced.
The second workshop focused on establishing a tank container pool for hydrogen along the Rhine, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024. Discussions centered on establishing a neutral organization to manage the pool, the essential prerequisites required, and how to align with ongoing projects such as CONDOR and Drivetrain.
The third workshop centered on financing, given the enormous investments required to build and retrofit hydrogen-powered ships—which remains one of the biggest challenges for achieving more zero-emission shipping. In addition to updating skippers on current financing options and technology, the workshop focused on what is known as “insetting.” This approach is based on the willingness of cargo owners to pay a premium, thereby enabling shippers to offset the additional costs of zero-emission technologies.
Staying on the ball
Over the past five years, South Holland and North Rhine-Westphalia have collaborated to align their hydrogen strategies, ensure coordinated infrastructure development, and push for common standards. “Cross-border cooperation is essential. The Rhine doesn’t stop at the border, and neither do our hydrogen ambitions. Together, we can turn these pilot projects into a complete hydrogen network,” said Theben.
To further stimulate these efforts, the Dutch government announced a substantial subsidy of more than 200 million euros from the Climate Fund during the conference. This will give cleaner inland shipping a further boost.
To facilitate the continued growth of the RH2INE network, the secretariat was officially transferred during the conference from South Holland and North Rhine-Westphalia to Tom Verlinden and Bert De Colvenaer of Waterstofnet.
