Several companies in North Sea Port have plans to import and store ammonia in Vlissingen and Terneuzen. Therefore, North Sea Port, Smart Delta Resources, and the Province of Zeeland commissioned research on how ammonia can be safely and efficiently transported via Belgium to the hinterland. This feasibility study shows that an ammonia pipeline is technically possible, safe, and could be economically viable in the long term. However, concrete realization is not expected in the short term.
This means that a pipeline from North Sea Port to Antwerp and the German Ruhr area is worthwhile once sufficient ammonia is transported and it becomes cheaper than transport by ship or train. Close consultation with Dutch and Belgian authorities is necessary regarding clear agreements on safety.
Three forms of transport remain necessary
To organize ammonia transport well in the coming years, it is necessary to develop three forms of transport simultaneously: rail, inland shipping, and pipeline. For smaller quantities, rail transport is cheapest. For medium volumes, inland shipping is often more efficient. Transport by rail or inland shipping is necessary anyway to grow the market and reach the scale of pipeline transport. For even larger quantities of ammonia, pipeline transport is the most cost-effective option in the long term. The feasibility study assumes a volume of 3 million tons of ammonia per year by 2040.
Pipeline advantageous in the long term
Transporting ammonia by rail, inland shipping, or pipeline each has specific limitations and advantages. Rail transport already takes place today. However, rail is busy in many places and expansion requires space, time, and investments. There are also inland vessels to transport ammonia, but their number is still limited. Expanding this fleet also takes time and money. However, rail and inland shipping remain indispensable in the short and medium term respectively. Together, they ensure that companies can gradually be supplied more, even if they do not yet have a connection to a pipeline.
Looking over a longer period of 25 years – until 2050 – it appears that a pipeline for large quantities of ammonia has the lowest costs. Preparations should start for further studies and development of a pipeline between the North Sea Port harbor area and, for example, Antwerp. The hydrogen pipelines of Gasunie and Fluxys remain necessary and will need to be realized in the short term.
Importance for the energy transition in Europe
Ammonia plays an important role in the energy transition. It can be used as fuel, as a raw material for industry, and as a way to transport hydrogen. In North Sea Port, several companies will use ammonia as fuel and raw material. In the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, there is a growing demand for sustainable energy and raw materials. Dutch and Belgian ports, including North Sea Port, can develop into important gateways for ammonia produced outside Europe and transported to the hinterland. This supports European climate goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and striving for a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.
The research was conducted at the request of North Sea Port, Smart Delta Resources, and the Province of Zeeland by consulting firms WSP and Aviv, together with various companies active in North Sea Port.