Shipping: necessary and promising
Inland shipping is an important part of our transport and economy. Every day, ships transport large quantities of goods such as building materials, agricultural products, and containers.
Inland shipping has great potential for expansion.
Roads and rail have limited capacity, but there is still plenty of space on the water. At the same time, ships emit a lot of greenhouse gases. Since we cannot do without this form of transport, sustainability is crucial.
Deputy for Accessibility, Public Transport, Provincial Infrastructure
Why in the Betuwe?
The Waal River is the most navigated river in the Netherlands. Approximately 120,000 ships sail here annually towards Rotterdam and further into Europe. This makes IJzendoorn a logical location for the 1st Clean Energy Hub. By making clean energy available at strategic locations, inland shipping becomes future-proof and we contribute to a climate-neutral Europe.
1st in the Netherlands
The Clean Energy Hub Betuwe is the first of its kind in the Netherlands. A Clean Energy Hub is a publicly accessible refueling, charging, or bunkering facility for road or inland shipping. The Hub has at least two alternative, sustainable energy sources and is mainly aimed at heavy goods transport. At the Waal near IJzendoorn, ships will soon be supplied with sustainable fuels and can charge electricity. Shore power will also be available for the overnight harbor of Rijkswaterstaat and energy for local projects, such as dike reinforcement and sand extraction by Dekker Group. The hub will be connected to the electricity grid and will have battery storage to guarantee power supply. This also helps reduce grid congestion (overloaded power grid) in the region.
Local energy generation with solar parks
The energy for the hub is generated locally. Permits have been granted for two floating solar parks. In spring 2026, construction of the first solar park in Willemspolder will begin. This park will have a capacity of 5 megawatts and can later be expanded to 10 megawatts. The solar park will have a nature-friendly design with floating green islands and biohuts for underwater life. Solinoor is building the solar park and developing the hub.
Presentation to Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management
Director Dolf van Atteveld of Dekker Group, director of Solinoor Vahid Kharidar, and deputy Klaas Ruitenberg of Gelderland presented the plans on December 1, 2025, to Minister Robert Tieman of Infrastructure and Water Management. Also present were the deputies of Flevoland, Ellentrees Müller, and Overijssel, Erwin Hoogland. During the working visit, they discussed the opportunities and challenges for a strong and sustainable inland shipping sector.
