Archives



Feature, Freight News, Inland waterway


Nike and partners future-proof inland shipping

[ May 25, 2023   //   ]

Netherlands-based Future Proof Shipping (FPS) officially launched the first hydrogen-powered zero-emissions inland container ship, H2 Barge 1, in Rotterdam on 25 May.in partnership with sports shoe manufacturer Nike and the BCTN Network of Inland Terminals.

The 110m x 11.45m inland containership is being chartered by BCTN on behalf of Nike EMEA and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,000 tonnes a year, operating between Rotterdam and BCTN’s inland terminal in Meerhout several times a week.

At the official launch of H2 Barge 1 Minister of Infrastructure & Water Management presented FPS founder, Huib van de Grijspaarde, with a special A-Zero (A0) emission label saying: “It’s my pleasure to present the very first A-Zero emission label to H2 Barge1, as it is the first vessel to truly qualify as zero emission. An achievement worth applauding. I hope this achievement by Future Proof Shipping will persuade other shipowners to make the transition to emission free transport too, and that many more A-Zero emission labels will be handed out in the future.” 

Chief executive of Future Proof Shipping, Richard Klatten, added: “We have been working for a couple of years now to ensure we tread more lightly on the planet. This shipping project proves that moving cargo with zero-emissions and zero impact is possible, and we hope it accelerates the industry to follow in Nike’s footsteps and move to zero.

“I would like to thank our dedicated FPS team, our founder Huib van de Grijspaarde for his unwavering belief in us and the project and all our trusted partners for enabling us to see it through. This is a pivotal moment, not just for Future Proof Shipping but for the future of shipping.” 

The FPS Maas/H2 Barge 1 retrofit project is supported by grant funding from the Interreg North Sea Region Programme (Zero Emission Ports North Sea – ZEM Ports NS), Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), Port of Rotterdam and Expertise- en InnovatieCentrum Binnenvaart. 

Future Proof Shipping aims to build and operate a fleet of 10 zero-emission inland and short-sea vessels over the next five years which they will offer for charter to logistics service providers and cargo owners. It also offers technical, financial, and commercial support as well as project development and management to other shipowners and stakeholders in the maritime sector

BCTN is the largest inland terminal operator of the Benelux handling more than 700,000teu per year at eight locations: Alblasserdam, Den Bosch, Geel, Meerhout, Beringen, Nijmegen, Roermond and Venray.

Tags: