The Port of Antwerp’s NextGen Demonstration District is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming the port into a hub of energy innovation. Located in one of Europe’s largest and most strategically important ports, this district is dedicated to fostering the development of innovative and compatible energy technologies, positioning Antwerp as a leader in Europe's energy modernization.
The NextGen Demonstration District spans a vast area within the port and serves as a testing ground for innovative industrial processes. It provides companies, startups, and research institutions with the space and resources needed to develop, test, and scale innovative solutions that address environmental challenges. The focus is on advancing technologies such as energy storage, hydrogen production, and variable energy integration (Picture shows the Next Generation Demonstration District cleared for new construction).
Power to Hydrogen and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges have agreed to install the world’s first industrial scale AEM electrolysis stack at the Port. The Port is providing funding to prepare the site for the installation of P2H2’s technology. Meanwhile, P2H2’s commercial partners from the Free Electrons pilot are providing the CAPEX for the AEM electrolyser build. The hydrogen will be used to power existing industrial operations at the port and provide hydrogen for refueling operations in the area. More importantly, the project will serve as a demonstration to the hydrogen economy that AEM electrolysers are ready for deployment at the industrial scale. To date, AEM electrolysers have only been deployed in small-scale use cases.
The project is already well underway and making progress. Each party has reached a successful Final Investment Decision (FID) to realize the project. Permits have been approved for the initial site preparation work, and the installation location is being prepared for the arrival of the electrolyser. Final environmental permits are now in progress to finalize each detail for the site layout. The P2H2 team has been traveling back and forth between its Columbus, Ohio headquarters and the site location in Antwerp, Belgium to push forward the different components of the project. P2H2 has also recently established a European base of operations in Antwerp to support project execution and develop further relationships with the European hydrogen value chain. Thank you to the city of Antwerp for the warm welcome!
