The Port of Rotterdam Authority and inland shipping operator PortLiner signed a contract yesterday (14 September) for the construction of a charging and storage pontoon for flow batteries in the Hartelkanaal.
From this bunkering station, PortLiner will supply electrically powered inland vessels with flow batteries, the Dutch port said today.
The Hartelkanaal was chosen as the site in the Port of Rotterdam. The pontoon is to be supplied with wind energy from Greenchoice’s adjacent wind farm.
Together with partners Vattenfall and Greenchoice, PortLiner has developed the concept for zero-emission shipping based on flow batteries in which electricity is charged in a liquid (electrolyte). On board a ship, the electricity is then extracted from the liquid and used to propel the ship. The discharged electrolyte is then exchanged for charged electrolyte and the discharged electrolyte is recharged.
Construction is set to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, with completion expected in Q1 of 2024.
