With more than 45 chemical companies and 5 refineries, the port of Rotterdam is one of the world's largest oil and chemical centres. Thanks to the clustering of top players, Rotterdam has a particularly efficient and profitable business environment. Moreover, on Maasvlakte 2, newcomers in biochemistry benefit from state-of-the-art Plug & Play facilities.
In the port of Rotterdam, related activities are clustered in order to increase efficiency. Companies in the petrochemical and biobased cluster are constantly looking for new ways to create synergy. Many companies supply raw materials and semi-manufactured products to their neighbours. Waste products of one company can serve as raw materials for another. This synergy provides a highly efficient and profitable business climate for all chemical companies in Rotterdam. In addition, the port of Rotterdam and the chemical industry in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany form the ARRRA cluster (Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr Area). This cluster accounts for 40 per cent of chemical production in the European Union.
The port of Rotterdam is one of the three largest fuel hubs in the world. It is a pricing benchmark location where large-scale production, storage and trading of oil and oil products take place. Crude oil accounts for nearly a quarter of the total throughput in Rotterdam. With five refineries in the port area and another five in the hinterland, Rotterdam is a strong cluster.
The port of Rotterdam already accommodates the largest renewable industry cluster in the world. Biofuels, bioenergy and biochemicals are produced here. In view of the increasing demand for biobased products and the associated flow of goods, the port of Rotterdam is strongly committed to strengthening this leading position. An 80-hectare site has been reserved on Maasvlakte 2 to accommodate biobased companies. Unique to this area is the Plug & Play concept with specialised providers providing the necessary industrial infrastructure. This allows new customers to establish themselves without having to invest in matters such as tank storage, energy networks and wastewater treatment plants. This saves them approximately 20 per cent on investment costs and enables them to focus immediately on their biobased business. Newcomers furthermore benefit from the existing petrochemical cluster.
Rotterdam aims to be the most sustainable port in the world. In addition to power generation through wind turbines, solar panels and biomass co-firing in coal-fired plants, the port of Rotterdam and a number of partners have developed the Delta Plan Energy Infrastructure. In this project, residual industrial heat is used for district heating and CO2 from industrial processes is captured and used in greenhouse farming. These steps account for an important contribution to CO2 reduction in Rotterdam. Furthermore, preparations are being made for large-scale storage of CO2 in empty gas fields under the North Sea in the Carbon Capture and Storage Project (CSS). These two sustainability projects play a crucial role in achieving the objective of emitting 50 per cent less CO2 by 2025 (compared to 1990).
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