Hydrogen Central

Uniper seeks judgement for the future of Maasvlakte, perfect place for large-scale production of green hydrogen?

uniper Maasvlakte green hydrogen

Uniper seeks judgement for the future of Maasvlakte, perfect place for large-scale production of green hydrogen? Uniper’s highly efficient coal fired power station MPP3 at Maasvlakte close to Rotterdam was officially opened in 2016 and its techniques meet the world’s highest standards.

The Dutch Coal Prohibition Act puts an end to the use of coal for the production of electricity for Uniper’s MPP3 by 1st of January 2030. This means a forced closure after only roughly fifteen years of operation without any compensation.

A conversion of MPP3 is unrealistic. Uniper has consistently expressed its concerns to the ministry and members of Parliament and the Senate about the fact that the law is lacking sufficient compensation. In Uniper’s view, this law is unbalanced as Uniper cannot execute its ownership rights, but is also not compensated. In the interest of its customers and employees Uniper is now seeking for a judgement from independent courts about the question whether the law is legitimate in view of this lacking compensation.

Regardless of that, Uniper endorses the Dutch climate goals and wants to contribute to reduction of CO2 emissions. This is also in line with Uniper’s corporate strategy. Uniper is willing to continue to contribute, also in the Netherlands, to the energy transition. Especially Uniper’s Maasvlakte location is uniquely situated to accelerate this transition.

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Therefore, Uniper is keen to continue with its constructive discussions with the government and other stakeholders about future steam supply and residuals solutions, the production of green hydrogen and further options for CO2 reduction. This would allow for a transition towards a sustainable energy eco system at Maasvlakte, facilitating Uniper’s existing and potentially additional industrial customers. For a sustainable future, clarity and a stable political framework will be crucial as it will enable the next steps into the transition.

David Bryson, COO Uniper SE: 

Uniper is committed to turn our European Generation business carbon neutral by 2035.

“While moving away from coal we are developing a wide range of sustainable alternatives. In our view the Uniper location at Maasvlakte is the perfect place for large-scale production of green hydrogen which would contribute significantly to the overall Dutch hydrogen targets. We sincerely hope that we can develop an acceptable solution in order to accelerate our transition ambitions.”

About Uniper

Uniper is an international energy company with around 12,000 employees in more than 40 countries. The company plans to make its power generation CO2-neutral in Europe by 2035. With about 35 GW of installed generation capacity, Uniper is among the largest global power generators. Its main activities include power generation in Europe and Russia as well as global energy trading, including a diversified gas portfolio that makes Uniper one of Europe’s leading gas companies. In 2020, Uniper had a gas turnover of more than 220 bcm. Uniper is also a reliable partner for municipalities, public utilities, and industrial companies for developing and implementing innovative, CO2-reducing solutions on their way to decarbonizing their activities. As a pioneer in the field of hydrogen, Uniper is active worldwide along the entire value chain and is implementing projects to make hydrogen usable as a mainstay of energy supply.

The company is headquartered in Düsseldorf and currently the third-largest listed German utility. Together with its main shareholder Fortum, Uniper is also the third-largest producer of CO2-free energy in Europe.

Uniper seeks judgement for the future of Maasvlakte, 16 April 2021

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