Rotterdam is seeking UAE capital and commercial partners for energy projects at its port, with Mayor Carola Schouten presenting hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) as areas for cooperation.
In an interview with Gulf News, Schouten said Rotterdam is investing in hydrogen infrastructure, including the Holland Hydrogen One project. She said the city could import green hydrogen from the UAE once the infrastructure is operating. Rotterdam’s CCS infrastructure is already in place, she said, giving prospective investors facilities to build on while hydrogen systems are developed.
Schouten cited the port’s scale, industrial base and permitting process when discussing investment opportunities. Schouten pointed to interest in UAE business ties, noting that more than 50 companies were exhibiting at ADIPEC and most came from the Rotterdam region.
Gulf News reported that about 13% of the energy entering Europe passes through Rotterdam. Gulf News put the port’s ownership split at 70% for the municipality and 30% for the Dutch national government.
Rotterdam has other commercial ties in the region. The Port of Rotterdam is a shareholder in Oman’s Port of Sohar, and Dutch firms have participated in UAE dredging projects, Gulf News reported. EconoTimes has previously covered Welsh companies’ pursuit of Gulf energy business at ADIPEC.
Schouten urged Gulf producers to consider blue hydrogen, which is made with carbon capture. “Don’t wait until it must be green. Work with us to make the transition in hydrogen,” she said. She linked investment to the energy transition and Rotterdam’s long-term port ambitions, saying the city wants its port to be Europe’s strongest by 2050.
Rotterdam also planned to launch a program called Women in Energy with Khalifa University during ADIPEC.
