ExxonMobil, an oil company, has planned to construct a pilot plant based on carbonate fuel cell technology at the Botlek site in the Port of Rotterdam.
According to the Port of Rotterdam, these fuel cells have the capacity to absorb CO2 emissions from industrial sources before they are discharged into the environment, while also producing useful by-products.
As a by-product, the method reportedly generates low-carbon electricity, heat, and hydrogen. The CO2 collected will be delivered through Porthos and stored in depleted gas sources beneath the North Sea’s seafloor.
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The pilot plant will collect data on the performance and usefulness of the carbonate fuel cell (CFC) technology developed in collaboration with FuelCell Energy. As the technology is modular, it might be suitable for wide-scale application.
The Port of Rotterdam noted that this is the first time carbonate fuel cell technology has been tried for CO2 collection in an industrial setting.
This pilot intends to address potential technical challenges that may arise in a commercial setting and better understand the economics of establishing and maintaining a CFC plant for CO2 collection.
One month later, the Port of Rotterdam officially commissioned the Container Exchange Route (CER) on the Maasvlakte after a long preliminary phase.
