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duisport and Port of Amsterdam join forces in development of green hydrogen value chain and hinterland network
Caption (from left): Markus Bangen, CEO of duisport, and Koen Overtoom, CEO of the Port of Amsterdam. © Max Dijksterhuis
- Joint strategic initiatives in the fields of energy transition and development of hinterland network
- Both ports attach great value to their strategic cooperation
Port of Amsterdam and duisport will expand their long lasting cooperation, as Markus Bangen, CEO at duisport, and Koen Overtoom, CEO at Port of Amsterdam, have announced that the ports will jointly develop the hydrogen value chain and their hinterland network. The CEOs have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to underline the commitment of their organizations to these shared goals.
The ports of Amsterdam and Duisburg are directly connected via the river Rhine and multiple land routes and fulfill important roles as logistical hubs for the European hinterland. Historically, these ports have been partners in facilitating important trade flows between Germany and the Netherlands. The existing long-term partnership is reflected by their joint participation company, Hafen Duisburg / Amsterdam Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, and will now enter a new phase.
Development of value chain for green hydrogen carriers
Both ports have strong ambitions in the field of energy and want to be at the forefront of the transition towards sustainable and renewable energy sources. Port of Amsterdam and duisport will therefore jointly explore the potential of several hydrogen carrier technologies, with the aim of establishing an international supply chain for hydrogen on a commercial scale. The import, storage and distribution of green hydrogen carriers plays an instrumental role in enabling the energy transition in the industrial and maritime sectors. Port of Amsterdam is part of the H2A consortium, which aims for the import of one million tonnes of green hydrogen to the port of Amsterdam and includes multiple significant players in the hydrogen industry. The H2A project forms a unique platform that can now be connected to duisport, allowing for the establishment of an end-to-end value chain for green hydrogen carriers between both ports.
Quote Koen Overtoom, CEO Port of Amsterdam: “I am very pleased to announce the partnership between duisport and Port of Amsterdam. Both ports recognize the great value of joining forces in developing new corridors for sustainable energy carriers, with the aim of decarbonization of international supply chains. This partnership strengthens our strategic initiatives, aimed at taking the lead in facilitating the energy transition, and complements our strong collaborations with our trusted partners.”
Quote Markus Bangen, CEO duisport: “By expanding our trusting partnership with the Port of Amsterdam, we are sending an important signal across national borders: only together will we be able to overcome global challenges such as the energy transition. I am therefore looking forward to further close cooperation in order to rapidly advance the development of a Europe-wide hydrogen network and to strengthen our function as central logistics hubs for Europe.”
Joint hinterland network
In addition to the development of the green hydrogen value chain, duisport and Port of Amsterdam will set up joint commercial projects to further develop their hinterland networks. Amsterdam and Duisburg are well connected by inland shipping, land and rail corridors and are centrally located within the extensive European network. In addition to the existing daily barge connections, an Amsterdam – Duisburg rail shuttle was launched in 2019. This shuttle forms an important corridor, which directly links the short sea and intermodal networks of both ports.
By actively engaging in joint commercial projects and by connecting their port community networks, duisport and Port of Amsterdam want to realize their shared ambition of expanding their hinterland networks, stimulating the modal shift and promoting sustainable multimodal transport connections via rail transport, inland shipping and short sea connections between the ports and other European destinations.
Pressemitteilung downloaden
Pressepaket downloadenduisport and Port of Amsterdam join forces in development of green hydrogen value chain and hinterland network
- Joint strategic initiatives in the fields of energy transition and development of hinterland network
- Both ports attach great value to their strategic cooperation
Port of Amsterdam and duisport will expand their long lasting cooperation, as Markus Bangen, CEO at duisport, and Koen Overtoom, CEO at Port of Amsterdam, have announced that the ports will jointly develop the hydrogen value chain and their hinterland network. The CEOs have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to underline the commitment of their organizations to these shared goals.
The ports of Amsterdam and Duisburg are directly connected via the river Rhine and multiple land routes and fulfill important roles as logistical hubs for the European hinterland. Historically, these ports have been partners in facilitating important trade flows between Germany and the Netherlands. The existing long-term partnership is reflected by their joint participation company, Hafen Duisburg / Amsterdam Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, and will now enter a new phase.
Development of value chain for green hydrogen carriers
Both ports have strong ambitions in the field of energy and want to be at the forefront of the transition towards sustainable and renewable energy sources. Port of Amsterdam and duisport will therefore jointly explore the potential of several hydrogen carrier technologies, with the aim of establishing an international supply chain for hydrogen on a commercial scale. The import, storage and distribution of green hydrogen carriers plays an instrumental role in enabling the energy transition in the industrial and maritime sectors. Port of Amsterdam is part of the H2A consortium, which aims for the import of one million tonnes of green hydrogen to the port of Amsterdam and includes multiple significant players in the hydrogen industry. The H2A project forms a unique platform that can now be connected to duisport, allowing for the establishment of an end-to-end value chain for green hydrogen carriers between both ports.
Quote Koen Overtoom, CEO Port of Amsterdam: “I am very pleased to announce the partnership between duisport and Port of Amsterdam. Both ports recognize the great value of joining forces in developing new corridors for sustainable energy carriers, with the aim of decarbonization of international supply chains. This partnership strengthens our strategic initiatives, aimed at taking the lead in facilitating the energy transition, and complements our strong collaborations with our trusted partners.”
Quote Markus Bangen, CEO duisport: “By expanding our trusting partnership with the Port of Amsterdam, we are sending an important signal across national borders: only together will we be able to overcome global challenges such as the energy transition. I am therefore looking forward to further close cooperation in order to rapidly advance the development of a Europe-wide hydrogen network and to strengthen our function as central logistics hubs for Europe.”
Joint hinterland network
In addition to the development of the green hydrogen value chain, duisport and Port of Amsterdam will set up joint commercial projects to further develop their hinterland networks. Amsterdam and Duisburg are well connected by inland shipping, land and rail corridors and are centrally located within the extensive European network. In addition to the existing daily barge connections, an Amsterdam – Duisburg rail shuttle was launched in 2019. This shuttle forms an important corridor, which directly links the short sea and intermodal networks of both ports.
By actively engaging in joint commercial projects and by connecting their port community networks, duisport and Port of Amsterdam want to realize their shared ambition of expanding their hinterland networks, stimulating the modal shift and promoting sustainable multimodal transport connections via rail transport, inland shipping and short sea connections between the ports and other European destinations.
Cooperation renewed and expanded – Ports of Duisburg and Rotterdam intensify cooperation
Allard Castelein (CEO Port of Rotterdam) & Markus Bangen (CEO duisport). © Marc Nolte
- Partnership to be expanded to include the areas of digitalisation and energy transition
- Joint development of hydrogen hubs planned
The port authorities of Duisburg and Rotterdam have jointly signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to renew and expand their cooperation agreements that date back to 2020. Besides existing agreements relating to the optimisation of logistical connections, the cooperation will be expanded to include initiatives in the area of digitisation and the energy transition. The agreement was signed by Markus Bangen, CEO at duisport and Allard Castelein, CEO at Port of Rotterdam.
duisport and the Port of Rotterdam have been trading partners for a long time. For example, each year more than one million TEU of containers are exchanged between the two logistics hubs. Almost a third of them are already shipped by rail. Digitisation and data sharing could further increase the part played by this sustainable mode of transport. This LOI is aimed at creating the most digital and most sustainable port-inland hub connection in the world by linking Duisburg’s ‘Rail Freight Data Hub’ initiative with Rotterdam’s ‘Rail Connected’.
Hydrogen hubs
The LOI also includes agreements on looking into the possibility of linking the port community systems Portbase (Rotterdam) to the RheinPorts Information System (Duisburg) and to learn from each other’s initiatives in the area of digital twin projects. With regard to the energy transition, both ports plan to investigate whether they can jointly take on the development of hydrogen hubs. Rotterdam as the future ‘hydrogen gateway’ to Europe and duisport as the hub for Germany. Setting up a physical link between the two is therefore an obvious choice.
‘We are facing major challenges that we will overcome together much faster, more efficiently and more intelligently’, says Markus Bangen. ‘Particularly in the areas of digitalization and the energy transition, it is important to work together and share our knowledge and expertise. I am therefore very pleased that we will continue the trusting partnership between the ports of Duisburg and Rotterdam.’
Likeminded partners
Allard Castelein is also particularly pleased with the renewal and expansion of the cooperation. ‘Digitisation and energy transition are as important to duisport’s strategy as they are to our own. We believe in the power of collaboration with likeminded organisations. This LOI represents a positive step in that direction.’
Pressepaket downloadenCrisis-proof and fit for the future – Strong figures in challenging times: duisport Group reports positive annual results
From left: Prof. Thomas Schlipköther (Member of the Executive Board). Markus Bangen (CEO) and Dr. Carsten Hinne (Member of the Executive Board). © duisport/krischerfotografie
- Earnings up by 33.1 percent
- Sales up by 18.9 percent
- Container turnover remains at record level
- Investments of over EUR 42 million
The duisport Group continued to perform successfully in the second year of the Covid pandemic, proving that it is crisis-proof and fit for the future. Although the 2021 financial year was strongly shaped by the effects and restrictions surrounding the third and fourth waves of the pandemic as well as globally disrupted logistics chains and a massive shortage of raw materials and preliminary products, duisport’s broadly positioned business model delivered a convincing performance with clearly noticeable resilience. Against this background, the increase in earnings of more than 33 percent with an increase in sales of almost 19 percent is all the more impressive.
“We’ve held our course in stormy times,” says CEO Markus Bangen, who took office on August 1, 2021, and has since provided a great deal of internal and external impetus for the further development and modernization of the Port of Duisburg. “The positive results in 2021 are the outcome of trusting teamwork, open dialog, and above all the outstanding commitment of all our colleagues at duisport. The entire Executive Board would like to thank them once again. After all, without their tireless efforts – whether it’s in the office, at home, at the terminals, or in our halls – we would not have been able to maintain our operations,” says Bangen.
Sales and earnings significantly increased
At EUR 346.8 million, the duisport Group’s sales in 2021 were significantly above the previous year’s figure of EUR 291.7 million – an increase of 18.9 percent. This also clearly exceeded the forecast of EUR 315 million. As a result of the increased sales, the EBITDA improved to EUR 54.6 million (2020: EUR 44.3 million). The result before taxes is EUR 29.5 million, which is thus above the previous year’s value of EUR 22.3 million. The annual net profit after tax grew by 33.1 percent from EUR 14.2 million to EUR 18.9 million.
Container turnover remains at record level
In the 2021 financial year, container turnover rose again slightly by 2 percent to around 4.3 million TEU (previous year: 4.2 million).
Total cargo turnover remains stable
Last year, the duisport Group handled a total of 58.2 million tons of goods by ship, rail and truck. All the ports of Duisburg together handled a total of 111.1 million tons (previous year: 110.4 million tons).
Developments of the four divisions
In the Infrastructure and Superstructure business segment, the duisport Group generated revenues of EUR 55.6 million, therefore exceeding the same level of the previous year (2020: EUR 53.6 million). This is attributable to new leases as well as lease revisions.
In the area of Logistics Services, sales increased by an impressive 35 percent to EUR 116.7 million (2020: EUR 86.4 million). The decisive factors for this development include further significant increases in the forwarding services of duisport agency GmbH, the expansion of activities in Poland, and the expansion of the project business of duisport consult GmbH.
The Packing Logistics business segment achieved a sales volume of EUR 94.6 million in 2021, having generated revenues of EUR 86.4 million in the previous year. However, the pre-Covid level of EUR 102.0 million from 2019 has not yet been regained.
Contract Logistics generated sales revenues of EUR 29.5 million (2020: EUR 33.8 million). The drop is primarily associated with the expiry of the contract with a long-standing major customer at the end of 2020. However, new activities were able to partially compensate for this.
In addition, the duisport Group generated miscellaneous sales in the amount of EUR 18.1 million (2020: EUR 1.5 million), primarily resulting from the sale of a building.
Investments secure the location’s appeal
In the second year of the pandemic, duisport again increased its spending on property, plant and equipment and financial investments, investing a solid EUR 42 million (2020: EUR 38.6 million). On top of this, EUR 14.1 million was invested in maintenance work on the infra- and superstructure of the Port of Duisburg. A total of EUR 56.6 million was thus invested in increasing the performance of duisport in 2021.
Goods traffic with China continues to grow
Goods traffic with China also continued to develop favorably. In 2021, over 2,800 shipments were handled via the New Silk Road, which corresponds to an increase of twelve percent. The TEU volume, which had skyrocketed in 2020, not only continued at a very stable level in 2021, but actually rose by 26 percent. This was in no small part due to improved utilization of the trains in both directions. On average, there were around 60 arrivals and departures per week in Duisburg, with over 70 at peak times.
Impact of the Ukraine war
The extent to which this development will continue largely depends on the ongoing war in Ukraine. So far, trains arriving in Duisburg from China via Russia, Belarus and Poland via the New Silk Road have largely been running on schedule. Yet some customers have reduced their bookings or switched shipments to maritime transport. A reliable prediction regarding further developments cannot be made at present. In general, train transports to and from China are an important and, so far, growing business area of the duisport Group, but they are also only a sub-segment.
Moreover, against the background of the war and the support of Belarus, the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board and the shareholders decided in March of this year to terminate all business activities in Belarus. duisport will withdraw from both the minority interest (0.59 percent) in the international development company of the Great Stone Industrial and Logistics Park and the shareholding in Eurasian Rail Gateway CJCS (38.9 percent), which has planned the construction and operation of a bimodal terminal. A representative office in Minsk has already been closed.
National and international investments
The duisport Group continued to hold investments in a variety of operating companies at home and abroad in 2021, including in Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, and China. In 2021, Duisburger Hafen AG acquired a shareholding in the Port of Trieste. This way, the duisport Group will strengthen its presence there and will benefit in future from the flow of goods from the Mediterranean region to Europe.
“Our geographical location and connection in the middle of Europe is a unique selling point that we will continue to reinforce,” announces Dr. Carsten Hinne, who has completed the duisport Executive Board since January 2022 and is primarily responsible for the expansion of the international network. “Shareholdings such as the one in Trieste strengthen the Port of Duisburg’s function as a logistics hub. duisport is providing support there in the development of logistics chains and flows of goods on the north-south axis and is sharing its expertise in the development of logistics areas – similar to the logport areas in and around Duisburg,” continues Dr. Hinne.
Focus on infrastructure, digitalization, and sustainability
At the main location in Duisburg, the focus in the coming months will be on modernizing the port infrastructure. “We’re investing massively in the renewal and new construction of roads, rails and bridges so that we can make our internal traffic and handling processes faster and more efficient. At the same time, this will further relieve the burden on the neighboring residential areas,” says Prof. Thomas Schlipköther, Chief Officer for Construction, Technology and Operations. This applies not least to the connection of the future Duisburg Gateway Terminal (DGT) – the largest container terminal in the European hinterland, which will be operated on a completely climate-neutral basis.
In doing so, the duisport Group is sending out a clear signal for sustainable business and climate protection. The world’s largest inland port takes its responsibility seriously, is constantly working to optimize its contribution to environmental protection and provides sustainable transport concepts for this purpose. At the start of 2021, the Group drew up a corresponding environmental strategy. This comprises the four fields of action of Modal Shift, Air, Noise and Climate, Energy Supply, and Resources. The aim is to develop the Port of Duisburg into a central hinterland hub for green hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and liquid CO2 in the future. This will also help offset the declining volumes of coal and the expected declining volumes of mineral oil in the course of society’s overall withdrawal from fossil fuels.
Central energy and logistics hub in Europe
So, despite the current crises, Markus Bangen is looking to the future with confidence: “At the moment, it’s almost impossible to make any reliable forecasts about the rest of the 2022 financial year. The Ukraine war and the enormous hike in energy prices have severely clouded the mood in the German economy as a whole. Nevertheless, I’m convinced that the duisport Group will emerge from this crisis in a strong position and that we’ve already taken the right steps in many areas to position ourselves as modern and fit for the future. In doing so, we will continue to reinforce the position of the Port of Duisburg as a central logistics and energy hub in Europe in the long term.”
Download media kitWar in Ukraine: The Port of Duisburg ceases all business activity in Belarus
duisport-CEO Markus Bangen: “We unreservedly close this chapter.”
Duisburger Hafen AG is ceasing all business activity in Belarus with immediate effect. This decision was taken in view of the war in Ukraine and the support of this war by Belarus. The decision is based on close coordination between the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board and shareholders.
duisport will divest both its minority stake (0.59 percent) in the international development company of the industrial and logistics park Great Stone as well as its stake in Eurasian Rail Gateway CJCS (38.9 percent) that planned the building and operation of a bimodal terminal. Furthermore, our representative office in Minsk has already definitively been closed.
At the time of the investment, Germany and the EU had been engaged in a constructive dialog with Belarus. The developments since the last presidential election and the support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine were not foreseeable.
“Our thoughts are with the people in Ukraine and we hope for a quick end of the war”, says duisport-CEO Markus Bangen. “We unreservedly close this chapter of our engagement in Belarus. We have already been critically questioning our activities there since the elections in 2020 and upon instigation by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board have reviewed our course of action. However, as an international consortium, we were not able and are not able to take steps unilaterally. In the current situation, however, it is all the more important for us to send a message by cutting all business ties with Belarus and conducting specific negotiations with our co-shareholders regarding the exit from the companies”, adds Markus Bangen.
The Port of Duisburg neither conducts business in Russia or Ukraine nor does it have any holdings there.
Energy transition in the Port of Duisburg – Duisburg Gateway Terminal (DGT): Official starting signal for the enerPort II project
From left: The President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, Duisburg's Mayor Sören Link, North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, Oliver Krischer and duisport CEO Markus Bangen. Copyright kirscherfotografie
- duisport & partners celebrate symbolic groundbreaking ceremony
- First climate-neutral hinterland terminal to be built on the former coal island by mid-2023
- Climate neutrality based on hydrogen
duisport CEO Markus Bangen today gave the official starting signal for Europe’s first climate-neutral hinterland terminal at a ceremony attended by North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, Oliver Krischer, Duisburg’s Mayor Sören Link, the President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, and many other guests. The symbolic groundbreaking ceremony marks not only the forthcoming start of construction of the Duisburg Gateway Terminal (DGT) but also the implementation of the joint project “enerPort II”.
Together with international partners Cosco Shipping Logistics, Hupac SA, and the HTS Group, duisport is building the trimodal DGT on the site of the former coal island in Duisburg, scheduled to be completed by mid-2023. It is considered a model project for the future of logistics and, with an area of 235,000 square meters, it will be the largest container terminal in the European hinterland upon completion.
“The Port of Duisburg will continue to be the leading energy hub in North Rhine-Westphalia in the future and, with this project, is also assuming a pioneering role in the utilization of new energy sources for climate-neutral port and terminal operations,” said Markus Bangen.
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst: “The Port of Duisburg is an important gateway to the world for our country. It stands for openness, free trade and innovation, as the enerPort II model project clearly demonstrates. The first container terminal to run on hydrogen on a completely climate-neutral basis sets the course for a climate-neutral future and is an example of the excellent hydrogen research in North Rhine-Westphalia, which we as the state government support. We are showing how both can be achieved: protecting the climate and maintaining good jobs, prosperity and social security. The energy carrier hydrogen plays an important role in this. With projects like enerPort II, the establishment of the Hydrogen Technology Innovation and Technology Center in Duisburg-Hüttenheim, among other locations, and the RH2INE project, we are on the right track. Together, we are making North Rhine-Westphalia the most modern and climate-friendly industrial base in Europe.”
“The enerPort project, which is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection with around 13 million euros, is making an important contribution to a climate-neutral future. The project is testing the practical use and application of hydrogen technology in a highly nationally and internationally networked environment. The resulting findings can also be applied in other contexts, thus helping to secure and shape the supply of CO2-free hydrogen and its downstream products. Last but not least, the close link with local stakeholders in the enerPort project shows how important it is to involve society as a whole,” said Oliver Krischer, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection.
Duisburg’s Mayor Sören Link states: “duisport will be developing a prime example of successful structural change on the coal island. For the city of Duisburg and the Port of Duisburg, this is a milestone on the path to a more climate-friendly future, where ecological responsibility will play an increasingly important role.”
“The enerPort II project is a perfect example of successful cooperation between science, industry and politics on the one hand and between the energy transition and structural change on the other. Here, a new hotbed is being created for a continuously advancing, holistic transformation process. The Port of Duisburg in particular holds great potential for the development of future-oriented energy supply concepts that span all sectors and districts,” emphasized Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
Project partners drive transformation of energy systems
The other partners in the enerPort II project also paid personal visits to the Port of Duisburg today, including representatives of Westenergie Netzservice GmbH, Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG, Netze Duisburg GmbH, Stadtwerke Duisburg AG, and Stadtwerke Duisburg Energiehandel GmbH.
Westenergie Netzservice is installing an intelligent and sustainable energy system to link the various energy sectors. The focus is on the microgrid*, electrical energy storage, PV systems, plant operation and intelligent control.
Stadtwerke Duisburg is developing a concept for the construction of a hydrogen filling station and an electrolyzer for the production of hydrogen from renewable energies. Netze Duisburg is investigating which network infrastructures can be used to distribute the hydrogen. To ensure the economically optimal operation of a cross-sector energy system, Stadtwerke Duisburg Energiehandel will act as the interface to the conventional energy markets and stock exchanges.
Rolls-Royce will demonstrate in practical operation at the future container terminal what the climate-neutral, decentralized energy supply of the future could look like. This will be achieved with an intelligent combination of renewable energies such as photovoltaics in conjunction with batteries and green hydrogen. To this end, the company will install three hydrogen-powered mtu fuel cell units with a total output of 1.5 megawatts to cover peak electrical loads in addition to two mtu hydrogen cogeneration units with 2 megawatts of output for the electrical base load and heat supply.
DGT as the first concrete hydrogen project in the Port
The duisport Group and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT have long been working together to achieve a complete energy transformation of the Port of Duisburg. Future-oriented technologies have already been analyzed and customized models developed as part of the “enerPort” project. These are now being applied in the DGT as part of the follow-up project “enerPort II”. The world’s largest inland port thus not only operates Europe’s largest climate-neutral hinterland hub, but can at the same time supply neighboring districts with additional energy through intelligent networking. The entire project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection for a period of four years as part of the “Hydrogen Technology Offensive” (funding code: 03EN3046).
The Port of Duisburg massively expands handling capacities
The entire DGT work processes will be highly efficient and 100% climate-neutral. All movements of goods are digitally coordinated down to the last detail and controlled automatically. The DGT is considered a guiding model for the energy transition of inland ports throughout the world.
With the completion and commissioning of the DGT in 2023, duisport will expand its role as a central hinterland hub in Europe.
*Microgrids are small, local energy networks (electricity, heating, and cooling) that supply businesses and others with energy. In the case of DGT, a smart local energy grid couples and controls renewable energies in the form of photovoltaic and hydrogen-based combined heat and power plants with electrical and thermal energy storage systems as well as hydrogen storage and consumers such as onshore power, charging stations and crane systems.
Pressepaket downloadenEnergy transition in the Port of Duisburg – Duisburg Gateway Terminal (DGT): Official starting signal for the enerPort II project
- duisport & partners celebrate symbolic groundbreaking ceremony
- First climate-neutral hinterland terminal to be built on the former coal island by mid-2023
- Climate neutrality based on hydrogen
duisport CEO Markus Bangen today gave the official starting signal for Europe’s first climate-neutral hinterland terminal at a ceremony attended by North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, Oliver Krischer, Duisburg’s Mayor Sören Link, the President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, and many other guests. The symbolic groundbreaking ceremony marks not only the forthcoming start of construction of the Duisburg Gateway Terminal (DGT) but also the implementation of the joint project “enerPort II”.
Together with international partners Cosco Shipping Logistics, Hupac SA, and the HTS Group, duisport is building the trimodal DGT on the site of the former coal island in Duisburg, scheduled to be completed by mid-2023. It is considered a model project for the future of logistics and, with an area of 235,000 square meters, it will be the largest container terminal in the European hinterland upon completion.
“The Port of Duisburg will continue to be the leading energy hub in North Rhine-Westphalia in the future and, with this project, is also assuming a pioneering role in the utilization of new energy sources for climate-neutral port and terminal operations,” said Markus Bangen.
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst: “The Port of Duisburg is an important gateway to the world for our country. It stands for openness, free trade and innovation, as the enerPort II model project clearly demonstrates. The first container terminal to run on hydrogen on a completely climate-neutral basis sets the course for a climate-neutral future and is an example of the excellent hydrogen research in North Rhine-Westphalia, which we as the state government support. We are showing how both can be achieved: protecting the climate and maintaining good jobs, prosperity and social security. The energy carrier hydrogen plays an important role in this. With projects like enerPort II, the establishment of the Hydrogen Technology Innovation and Technology Center in Duisburg-Hüttenheim, among other locations, and the RH2INE project, we are on the right track. Together, we are making North Rhine-Westphalia the most modern and climate-friendly industrial base in Europe.”
“The enerPort project, which is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection with around 13 million euros, is making an important contribution to a climate-neutral future. The project is testing the practical use and application of hydrogen technology in a highly nationally and internationally networked environment. The resulting findings can also be applied in other contexts, thus helping to secure and shape the supply of CO2-free hydrogen and its downstream products. Last but not least, the close link with local stakeholders in the enerPort project shows how important it is to involve society as a whole,” said Oliver Krischer, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection.
Duisburg’s Mayor Sören Link states: “duisport will be developing a prime example of successful structural change on the coal island. For the city of Duisburg and the Port of Duisburg, this is a milestone on the path to a more climate-friendly future, where ecological responsibility will play an increasingly important role.”
“The enerPort II project is a perfect example of successful cooperation between science, industry and politics on the one hand and between the energy transition and structural change on the other. Here, a new hotbed is being created for a continuously advancing, holistic transformation process. The Port of Duisburg in particular holds great potential for the development of future-oriented energy supply concepts that span all sectors and districts,” emphasized Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
Project partners drive transformation of energy systems
The other partners in the enerPort II project also paid personal visits to the Port of Duisburg today, including representatives of Westenergie Netzservice GmbH, Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG, Netze Duisburg GmbH, Stadtwerke Duisburg AG, and Stadtwerke Duisburg Energiehandel GmbH.
Westenergie Netzservice is installing an intelligent and sustainable energy system to link the various energy sectors. The focus is on the microgrid*, electrical energy storage, PV systems, plant operation and intelligent control.
Stadtwerke Duisburg is developing a concept for the construction of a hydrogen filling station and an electrolyzer for the production of hydrogen from renewable energies. Netze Duisburg is investigating which network infrastructures can be used to distribute the hydrogen. To ensure the economically optimal operation of a cross-sector energy system, Stadtwerke Duisburg Energiehandel will act as the interface to the conventional energy markets and stock exchanges.
Rolls-Royce will demonstrate in practical operation at the future container terminal what the climate-neutral, decentralized energy supply of the future could look like. This will be achieved with an intelligent combination of renewable energies such as photovoltaics in conjunction with batteries and green hydrogen. To this end, the company will install three hydrogen-powered mtu fuel cell units with a total output of 1.5 megawatts to cover peak electrical loads in addition to two mtu hydrogen cogeneration units with 2 megawatts of output for the electrical base load and heat supply.
DGT as the first concrete hydrogen project in the Port
The duisport Group and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT have long been working together to achieve a complete energy transformation of the Port of Duisburg. Future-oriented technologies have already been analyzed and customized models developed as part of the “enerPort” project. These are now being applied in the DGT as part of the follow-up project “enerPort II”. The world’s largest inland port thus not only operates Europe’s largest climate-neutral hinterland hub, but can at the same time supply neighboring districts with additional energy through intelligent networking. The entire project is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection for a period of four years as part of the “Hydrogen Technology Offensive” (funding code: 03EN3046).
The Port of Duisburg massively expands handling capacities
The entire DGT work processes will be highly efficient and 100% climate-neutral. All movements of goods are digitally coordinated down to the last detail and controlled automatically. The DGT is considered a guiding model for the energy transition of inland ports throughout the world.
With the completion and commissioning of the DGT in 2023, duisport will expand its role as a central hinterland hub in Europe.
*Microgrids are small, local energy networks (electricity, heating, and cooling) that supply businesses and others with energy. In the case of DGT, a smart local energy grid couples and controls renewable energies in the form of photovoltaic and hydrogen-based combined heat and power plants with electrical and thermal energy storage systems as well as hydrogen storage and consumers such as onshore power, charging stations and crane systems.
Personnel – Dr. Carsten Hinne joins Markus Bangen and Prof. Thomas Schlipköther to complete the duisport Executive Board
From left: Prof. Thomas Schlipköther, Markus Bangen (CEO), Dr. Carsten Hinne. © duisport/Oliver Tjaden
- Focus on the “International Network”
- Markus Bangen: “We will act as a team both internally and externally and tackle the future issues of the duisport Group together.”
Dr. Carsten Hinne has been a new member of the Executive Board of the duisport Group since January 1, 2022. The 46-year-old is joining duisport from Deutsche Bahn, where he worked for 20 years in various functions, most recently as Senior Vice President of DB Cargo AG. At duisport, he will in future be mainly responsible for the “International Network” division. Dr. Carsten Hinne is thus joining Markus Bangen and Prof. Thomas Schlipköther to complete the Executive Board of Duisburger Hafen AG.
“I am very pleased to welcome Dr. Carsten Hinne, an extremely competent and internationally experienced colleague, to the world’s largest inland port. The duisport Executive Board is thus complete once again. We will act as a united team both internally and externally and tackle the future issues of the duisport Group together,” says Markus Bangen.
Dr. Carsten Hinne: “I’ve already met many dedicated and highly motivated colleagues and look forward to working with my fellow members of the Executive Board. I’m convinced that top results can only be achieved as a team by pooling our competencies and know-how.”
“From now on, we will be making all the key decisions for the duisport Group together, thus setting an example of a true cultural change. This is one of the reasons why we made a conscious decision to step down as board members from the management of the subsidiaries so that we could leave the responsibility to our colleagues who are in charge of operations anyway,” adds Prof. Thomas Schlipköther.
As early as last fall, duisport CEO Markus Bangen declared a “clear course towards innovation, sustainability and digitalization” as part of the future strategy as well as restructuring central corporate divisions. “The course has been set: by completing the Executive Board, we can now build momentum and focus on the further development of our home base in Duisburg without neglecting the expansion of our international network,” says Bangen.
While Dr. Carsten Hinne will in future be mainly responsible for the International Network division as well as Superstructure, Human Resources and Purchasing within Duisburger Hafen AG, Markus Bangen will be responsible, among other things, for Infrastructure, Finance, Strategy and Digital Transformation, Shareholdings and M&A, and Legal Affairs. Prof. Thomas Schlipköther will continue to be primarily responsible for the areas of Construction, Technology and Operations as well as Facility Management and Port and Rail Operations.
