The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Dutch inland shipping operator PortLiner inked a contract for the building of a flow battery charging and storage pontoon in the Hartelkanaal.
PortLiner will deliver flow batteries to electrically powered inland vessels from this bunkering station. Construction is anticipated to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, with the first electrolyte bunkering station in the Netherlands likely to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.
Furthermore, PortLiner is a pioneer in zero-emission transportation solutions. PortLiner chose to extend its activities in the port of Rotterdam by building the electrolyte bunkering station in response to the rising demand for electrically powered inland vessels.
The Hartelkanaal in Rotterdam’s port was chosen as the site. The pontoon will be powered by green energy (wind energy) generated by Greenchoice’s adjacent wind farm.
PortLiner, in collaboration with partners Vattenfall and Greenchoice, has created an innovative idea for zero-emission shipping based on flow batteries.
Electricity is charged in a liquid (electrolyte) in flow batteries. The power is extracted from the liquid and utilized for propelling the ship on board. The discharged electrolyte is then exchanged for a charged electrolyte and the discharged electrolyte is recharged.
