The first consignment of hydrogen (H2) has arrived in the Valencian precinct to serve the refuelling station on the Xità quay. This historic milestone makes the Spanish port the first in Europe to have a hydrogen plant in full operation.
It is the sole facility that can satisfy the terminals’ demands via the mobile hydrogen plant and the stationary tank that stores this fuel. A watershed moment for the port community and European ports to begin testing one of the future fuels.
This hydrogen supply station (HRS) consists of a stationary component dedicated to the receiving, storage, and compression of hydrogen up to delivery pressure, which was tested today, and a mobile section that stores the compressed hydrogen and contains a dispenser for refuelling port machinery.
The first tube trailer with green hydrogen cylinders arrived at the hydrogen plant on 17 January at 10.30 a.m. (local time) and was placed into the storage tank at the Port of Valencia. For almost an hour, several tests were performed to prepare the entire process for filling the permanent tank located on the Xità quay with H2.
“This project is strategic for the reduction of emissions and is in addition to other initiatives such as the installation of photovoltaic plants or wind turbines to meet our commitment to be a zero-emissions port by 2030. This H2Ports initiative is the first to be carried out in a European port to test mobility and its use in machinery,” stated Raúl Cascajo head of environmental policies at Port Authority of Valencia.
Next week, the mobile station will be loaded and will be responsible for travelling to the MSC and Grimaldi terminals to supply hydrogen to the two prototypes of port machinery, which will arrive in the near future, where this clean fuel will be tested in a ‘Reachstacker’ vehicle or container stacker and in a 4×4 tractor unit.
In the coming weeks, a team of dockers and technicians from Valenciaport will travel to the Netherlands to test the Reachstacker, which is being designed by Hyster Europe. The ro-ro tractor is being adapted by Atena Distretto. Both will run on fuel cells and electric motors, which will be powered by H2, and will be zero-emission.
