Publication date: 26-02-2026
Author: Stijn Verhoeff & Stefanie Meyer
New European and global regulations require shipping companies to structurally reduce their emissions. This is rapidly increasing the demand for energy sources with low greenhouse gas emissions. The challenges created by these regulations extend beyond national policy and are forcing ports to review their strategies and international partnerships.
This strategic reorientation is taking place in a reality where policy readiness does not match market readiness. The gap between the demand for more sustainable fuels and their availability is the central challenge that determines current port strategies. This article examines what this gap means in concrete terms for the strategic choices that ports have to make, building on insights previously published by Venturn on European and IMO regulations and strategy in a circular era.
Transformation of the industrial and energy network
The success of the port of Rotterdam has traditionally been linked to its size, efficiency, and connections with the hinterland. However, research into the strategic value of the port shows that Rotterdam’s high competitiveness does not primarily stem from individual infrastructure facilities, but from its embedding in international logistics, industrial, and energy networks.
Research confirms that this logic of cooperation is becoming even more important in the context of the energy transition. The attractiveness of ports is increasingly determined by their capabilities in the field of energy transition, including access to alternative fuels and integration into broader energy and logistics networks. Ports that are well connected to such networks are better positioned to attract shipping companies and industrial users than ports that depend on isolated, port-centric investments.
Under the influence of FuelEU Maritime, the EU ETS system, and the IMO Net-Zero framework, the investment climate for ports depends on their ability to link demand for low-emission fuels to feasible supply and distribution systems. The Port of Rotterdam’s strategy recognizes this importance and explicitly points to limitations in terms of space, electricity grid capacity, and infrastructure complexity, concluding that large-scale energy transition projects, particularly in the field of hydrogen, cannot be developed efficiently within the port area alone. This makes cooperation not a choice, but a necessity.
Hydrogen as an example of the system challenge
Hydrogen and hydrogen-derived fuels are expected to play a key role in decarbonizing both industry and shipping. However, the transition to a hydrogen-based energy system involves a great deal of uncertainty and requires coordination
One example of this is Shell’s Holland Hydrogen I project. According to Shell, the €1 billion hydrogen plant in Rotterdam may never open. Shell has indicated that uncertain market conditions and the lack of reliable off-take undermine the project’s business case.
This is not the only example of a hydrogen project that has been delayed or halted. The delay in the development of the Delta Rhine Corridor pipeline also fits this pattern. This crucial infrastructure, which was originally supposed to be operational for hydrogen transport in 2028, is now not expected to be ready until around 2030. Such delays emphasize that the uncertainties in the hydrogen market reinforce each other and will not disappear automatically through market forces.
Complementary roles as energy hub and sustainable logistics partner
Due to ongoing uncertainty about demand and infrastructure, ports are increasingly opting for cooperation, even when large-scale hydrogen volumes are still lacking. The cooperation between the Port of Rotterdam Authority and Duisport shows how ports are responding strategically to this
Duisburg is Europe’s largest inland port and a central logistics hub in the Rhine-Ruhr region, home to energy-intensive industries (such as steel and chemicals) that are difficult to decarbonize. Although demand for hydrogen is growing slowly, Duisburg combines future industrial demand potential and offers access to inland logistics and distribution networks. The corridor-focused collaboration within the ARRRA cluster aims to connect supply by sea with potential industrial demand in the hinterland at an early stage. This collaboration aims to limit the risk of infrastructure underutilization.
The collaboration illustrates how ports are responding strategically in terms of coordination. Rotterdam is positioning itself as a maritime gateway for hydrogen imports, while Duisburg is positioning itself as Europe’s largest inland logistics hub with direct access to the Rhine-Ruhr industrial area.
In addition to the benefits for regulatory compliance, the collaboration also has a strong logistical dimension. The Rhine corridor connects Rotterdam directly to Duisburg via inland waterways, allowing fuels such as hydrogen to be transported with lower emissions than by road transport.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority states that the partnership is now focusing on the development of sustainable transport corridors for both hydrogen and captured CO₂, giving hard-to-decarbonize industries in the Rhine-Ruhr region access to CO₂ storage routes via Rotterdam.
By linking Rotterdam’s import capacity to domestic demand and Duisburg’s logistics network, both ports are strengthening their competitive position within the European energy transition.
Consequences for ports, industry, and shipping companies
New national and international regulations do not prescribe how, which, and where alternative fuels must be supplied. Ports that fail to integrate themselves into collaborative networks run the risk of losing their competitiveness.
Cooperation must link supply and demand before market volumes can increase. For ports and shipping companies, compliance with regulations will be determined less by formal regulations and more by access to well-functioning fuel and logistics systems. Understanding how cross-border cooperation strengthens competitiveness is therefore essential for strategic decision-making in the maritime energy transition. Without cooperation, the demand created by regulations will remain without a market, with consequences for the European investment climate.
Venturn
At Venturn, we believe that sustainable change starts with leadership. As a trusted sparring partner for decision-makers in the maritime supply chain, we closely follow developments that affect ports and the wider sector. Not from the sidelines, but in direct contact with our customers and stakeholders. Our project teams, consisting of a mix of senior consultants and young professionals, identify the impact and market developments, such as new regulations, and translate these into concrete action plans. In this way, we not only help organizations seize opportunities and overcome challenges, but we also work together to build leadership and change capacity that enables real transformation.