German Port of Duisburg and Dutch Port of Rotterdam have signed a letter of intent (LoI) to reinforce their goal of jointly developing sustainable transport corridors via waterways as well as future-oriented initiatives for the energy transition.
As disclosed, a central new element of the cooperation is the export of CO2. The ports seek to create the conditions for cross-border carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCU/CCS) activities.
Another big focus in the agreement reportedly lies in strengthening the Rhine corridor as a sustainable cross-border logistics hub. According to the ports, the Rhine corridor forms the backbone of European energy supply, enables “efficient, sustainable” access for the production sites to international markets, and secures the security of supply and the competitiveness of a vast array of companies along the entire value chain.
Port of Duisburg’s CEO Markus Bangen stated: “We face great challenges which we can overcome much more quickly, efficiently and intelligently together. It is crucial for us to bundle our expertise and develop collective cross-border solutions, especially in sustainable logistics and the sectors surrounding the energy transition. Logistics is a team sport – and the port of Rotterdam is our ideal partner.”
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, commented: “13 percent of Europe’s energy demand is imported by way of Rotterdam. This is still primarily made up of fossil fuels, but our long-term aim is to become Europe’s port for importing renewable energies. Inland shipping – and thus our cooperation with duisport – is especially important in the onward transport of these energy sources.”
Minister-President of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) Hendrik Wüst said: “The port of Rotterdam – as Europe’s largest seaport – and Duisburg’s port – the world’s largest inland port – together make a decisive contribution to the industrial future of North Rhine-Westphalia. Both ports will become central hubs for hydrogen and CO₂ in the future, making them important partners on our path to climate-neutral industry. It is good news for North Rhine-Westphalia that both ports are taking their cooperation another step further.”
“The close cooperation between Rotterdam and Duisburg strengthens the competitiveness of our economy – and especially the resilience of our supply chains. North Rhine-Westphalia remains a logistics hub for Europe, for energy supply, as well as for military mobility in mutual defence. Their cooperation signals confidence: by modernising infrastructure and deepening partnerships, we secure the future viability of our continent – in terms of economy, ecology as well as security policy.”
To note, the ports of Duisburg and Rotterdam signed a letter of intent in 2022 on cooperation in the fields of rail and inland land development, digitalization, and energy transition. Examples of previous work include the partnership with the Brazilian Port of Pecém on transporting green energy to Europe, the cooperation on digital port community systems, and the low-carbon ammonia transport.