The Port Authority of Rotterdam and Yokogawa Electric Corporation announced that they have launched a feasibility study to strengthen cross-industry integration and efficient use of energy and utilities in Rotterdam’s industrial cluster, contributing to the region’s decarbonization goals. Preliminary studies have shown that optimizing electricity and utility use between companies can lead to cost savings of up to 5%.

Companies in the petrochemical industry are typically highly optimized for their operations. However, they are afraid of leaking confidential information and often do not dare to “cross the fence” to cooperate with other companies in the industrial cluster, even though doing so can further save energy and resources. The Port of Rotterdam and Yokogawa Electric aim to break through this barrier and promote confidential sharing of data and deeper integration within the cluster to unlock the huge potential efficiency gains of optimizing production across the cluster.

By integrating multiple utilities such as heat, electricity, and hydrogen, industrial flexibility can be increased, leading to greater efficiency. For example, in terms of electricity, it is possible to optimize “off-meter” consumption between neighboring companies and manage peak demand, while also helping to prevent or reduce grid congestion in port areas. Such methods can be extended by coordinating the use of other utilities. For example, a company that produces steam as a byproduct can choose to ramp up production when a neighboring company needs more steam, preventing heat waste. Overall, this multi-utility approach can make relevant contributions to energy conservation and emission reduction.

1764-24BWA

As Europe’s largest port and home to more than 200 industrial companies, the Port of Rotterdam is uniquely positioned to facilitate and implement this project to support the energy transition. Yokogawa is able to use its simulation technology, regional energy management solutions and consulting capabilities to support optimized production planning to identify efficiency opportunities across multiple industrial systems.

The parties have completed a pre-feasibility study using computer simulations and comparisons with the operations of the Rotterdam Port industrial cluster to identify potential savings for a range of utilities. At the same time, they also conduct in-depth seminars and roundtable discussions with a number of companies active in the region.

Pre-feasibility studies have shown that by better aligning the use of electricity, heat, steam, and feedstocks such as water and industrial gases, efficiency gains of up to 5% can be achieved, resulting in lower costs and a reduced carbon footprint. In the long run, deeper integration and optimization within industrial clusters can save up to 10% in costs. In this way, the Rotterdam region can move towards an “industrial sharing economy” where intensive sharing of resources and infrastructure leads to efficient operations for all companies in the region.

Following a promising initial assessment, the Port of Rotterdam and Yokogawa Electric have now started a feasibility study with several petrochemical and energy companies in the cluster to identify specific use cases based on existing operations. Preliminary results of the feasibility study are expected by the end of 2023. If the results are positive enough, the next step will be to develop plans for field trials with partner companies in the port starting in 2024.