Egbert van der Wal has been working at Port of Rotterdam since 2008 and, as Director of Port Development, is a member of the Porthos Steering Group. After several years abroad, he has been leading the team responsible for port development since 2022, including the design and realisation of both above-ground and underground infrastructure. What does Porthos mean for the Port of Rotterdam?
“CCS is an indispensable building block for us within the energy transition. It helps us achieve substantial CO₂ reductions in the very short term. We aim to have a fully climate-neutral port by 2050, but we also recognise that there are industrial processes for which no zero-emission technologies currently exist. In shipping, onboard carbon capture could play a role in rapidly reducing emissions. CCS therefore fits into our broader strategy: we are building a system that runs on hydrogen, circular raw materials, and sustainable energy, in which CO₂ storage and reuse are essential components. And the best part is: it is actually happening here. We have moved from dream to reality. Porthos will become operational this year.”
Why is CCS particularly important right now?
“Rotterdam is the largest industrial cluster in Europe. The industry that forms the backbone of our society is struggling, while investments in sustainability are crucial there. If we want to meet our climate targets, we need a technology that can already reduce large volumes today. CCS does exactly that. The EU is also very clear about this: CO₂ storage is essential for achieving European climate goals.”
There are critics who say CCS makes companies complacent, allowing them to delay sustainability. What do you think about that?
“We are familiar with that argument. But we do not see CCS as an excuse; we see it as a necessary complement to sustainability. Both are needed, and CCS can prevent large volumes of CO₂ emissions in the very short term. The real CO₂-free alternatives, such as green hydrogen, require more time to scale up. But the clock is ticking. So CCS is truly necessary; companies must decarbonise, and for multiple reasons, the Netherlands has become less attractive for energy-intensive companies. If industry leaves, jobs and economic value will be lost. So this is not just a climate issue, it is also a question of our economic future.”
Within the European Union, Porthos is the first CCS project to get underway. Is it a coincidence that it starts here?
“The Port of Rotterdam has a unique location on the relatively shallow North Sea with depleted gas fields. The parent companies of Porthos also have extensive knowledge of gas fields, gas transport, and industrial clusters. CCS can really scale up here in the Netherlands. Porthos is therefore the beginning of a CO₂ hub that reaches across borders. With the new infrastructure of the Delta Rhine Corridor and the Delta Schelde CO2nnection, as well as the existing infrastructure, we can organise CCS on a large scale. With Porthos, we have a showcase in Rotterdam demonstrating that it really works. For the Netherlands, it is the backbone of CCS development.”
