North Sea Port alongside other Flemish ports have given the go-ahead to a new innovation plan as part of Flemish energy cluster Flux50.
The plan will allow them to strengthen their international leadership position in sustainable energy supplies.
This new innovation scheme will see a change to renewable energy sources in ports across Belgium and therefore a considerable reduction in CO2 emissions, fitting in directly with North Sea Port’s aims.
Over 40 CEOs of ports and leading port companies have now agreed to the plan.
The innovation plan is based on four pillars:
- Drawing up a cross-border energy plan
- Promoting the development of cross-sector expertise in large-scale energy storage
- Developing international value chains that enable the import of energy via the Flemish ports
- Converting industrial sites and clusters into smart energy communities
“Our port has experience of cross-border cooperation between industrial clusters with regard to heat, CO2 and hydrogen – including the necessary associated infrastructure – in the chemicals, steel, automotive and paper production sectors. These innovative industry clusters are clearly the way forward,” said Daan Schalck, CEO at North Sea Port.
One way that North Sea Port has managed to reduce its carbon emissions is through hydrogen-based fuel. In October 2020, the port joined forces with Ørsted and Yara Birkeland to develop green ammonia based on renewable hydrogen. This partnership is predicted to lead to an annual reduction in CO2 emissions of 100,000 tons.
