Covestro and NPRC for Climate-Friendly Logistics on the Rhine

Covestro, the supplier of high-tech polymer materials, and the logistics service provider Dutch Particulate Rhine Shipping Cooperative (NPRC) aim to establish an environmentally friendly salt transport fleet on the Rhine. The first hydrogen-powered ships are planned for 2024. This is another step towards climate-neutral production.

(Leverkusen; Rotterdam/NL) Covestro and the Dutch logistics provider NPRC want to convert the salt transport fleet on the Rhine to hydrogen-powered ships in a joint project. The project is part of the RH2INE initiative (Rhine Hydrogen Integration Network of Excellence) of the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Dutch province of South Holland. The goal is to realize a climate-neutral transport route on the Rhine-Alpine corridor and thus contribute to the implementation of the European “Green Deal”. In this context, Covestro and NPRC are supporting the establishment of a hydrogen infrastructure at ports and loading stations along the Rhine. The first two emission-free ships are expected to operate between the Netherlands and Covestro’s three Lower Rhine locations as early as 2024.

Aligning with Circular Economy

“We want to completely align our company with the circular economy and produce greenhouse gas neutral in the long term. This also includes the continuous reduction of indirect emissions, where we want to implement innovative solutions together with strong partners like NPRC,” explains Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer of Covestro AG. The logistics sector is particularly relevant here. Because transport is the only sector in the European Union (EU) where emissions have increased rather than decreased since 1990. This is where the RH2INE initiative comes in, which Covestro and NPRC have now officially joined as supporters. “This collaboration is a wonderful example of the opportunities that arise when all parties in the logistics chain commit to sustainability. The reliable partnership with Covestro provides our cooperative of independent inland shipping entrepreneurs with a solid basis to take on the significant investment required to switch to emission-free transport. This form of shared responsibility for the logistics chain is the future,” says Femke Brenninkmeijer, CEO of NPRC.

Gradually Emission-Free Transport of Raw Materials

Salt is the most important raw material for Covestro’s locations in North Rhine-Westphalia in terms of transport volume. As part of RH2INE, Covestro and NPRC aim to gradually make the transport of this raw material emission-free. To this end, the partners plan to initially put two hydrogen-powered ships into operation starting in 2024, with more ships to follow. Initially, the focus is on questions of technical and economic feasibility of the project. In this context, the technical design of the hull will also be optimized so that the ships can be used even in low water conditions. It is also being examined whether green hydrogen from Covestro’s own chlor-alkali electrolysis could be used for refueling the inland ships. With their joint project, Covestro and NPRC are thus significantly contributing to the interim goal of RH2INE: By 2024, the cross-border initiative aims to put several hydrogen-powered ships into operation between Rotterdam and Cologne in cooperation with other partners from the consortium.

Climate-Neutral Transport Corridor

The long-term goal is to create a climate-neutral transport corridor “Rhine-Alps”. Supporters include the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Dutch provinces of South Holland and Gelderland, as well as the ports of Duisburg, Neuss/Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Rotterdam, along with other logistics and industrial companies. For Covestro, the transition to hydrogen propulsion is another step on the path to climate-neutral production. The company aims to fully align all its areas with a circular economy. In this context, the use of renewable energies and green hydrogen are important building blocks.

About Covestro

With a revenue of 12.4 billion euros in 2019, Covestro is one of the largest polymer companies in the world. The business focuses on the production of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main customer sectors are the automotive industry, construction, wood processing and furniture industry, as well as the electrical and electronics sector. Additional areas include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health, and the chemical industry itself. Covestro operates at 30 locations worldwide and employed around 17,200 people (converted to full-time positions) as of the end of 2019.

About NPRC

NPRC is a leader in sustainable transport. The cooperative generates a revenue of 90 million euros a year with 135 members. Approximately 200 ships are in operation for NPRC daily, transporting 12 million tons of bulk goods, containers, and breakbulk on European inland waterways. This makes NPRC the largest Dutch provider of inland shipping transport and the third largest provider in Europe. The cooperative transports goods for large European industrial customers from various sectors and has branches in Rotterdam, Mannheim, Duisburg, Antwerp, and Paris. At NPRC, sustainability, collaboration with all stakeholders in the logistics chain, transparency, digitization, and efficiency of the logistics chain are top priorities.
Photo: © Michael Rennertz / Image caption: Unloading a salt ship in Leverkusen
www.covestro.com
www.nprc.eu