PRESS RELEASE: Green hydrogen in the Port of Rotterdam moves closer with selection of Enapter’s AEM Nexus 2500
Rotterdam, 15th of July 2026
| Smart Hydrogen Hub has selected Enapter’s AEM Nexus 2500 as the core electrolyzer technology for its planned green hydrogen demonstrator in Rotterdam’s M4H district. The project is being developed in collaboration with Platform Zero, Adsensys and other public and private partners, including the Port of Rotterdam and InnovationQuarter. |
| The selection represents an important step toward the development of a scalable hydrogen hub that brings renewable electricity, energy storage, hydrogen production, certification and local use together at a single location. The demonstrator will prove how these components can be integrated and operated as one flexible energy system under real-world port and industrial conditions. It will demonstrate how hydrogen production can respond to variable renewable electricity, how storage and control systems can support efficient operation, and how certified green hydrogen can be supplied reliably to local users. For industrial, mobility and maritime companies, the hub is intended to provide access to reliable, locally produced green hydrogen in volumes that can grow alongside demand. For technology providers, startups, scale-ups, innovative SMEs, knowledge institutions and public partners, it will provide a practical environment in which technologies, business models and regulatory approaches can be tested and further developed. The AEM Nexus 2500 is Enapter’s next-generation 2.5 MW Multi-Core electrolyzer for industrial applications. Its modular architecture is designed to support: |
- phased expansion and scaling of hydrogen production capacity;
- responsive operation under variable renewable energy conditions; and
- integration into larger hydrogen and energy-management systems.
These characteristics align closely with Smart Hydrogen Hub’s ambition to realize a flexible, replicable and future-proof hydrogen demonstrator in the Port of Rotterdam.
Smart Hydrogen Hub is being developed as a demonstration environment for companies, knowledge institutions and public-sector partners working on industrial electrification, mobility and maritime applications. The hub will combine flexible green hydrogen production with battery storage, locally generated renewable electricity, energy-management systems, certification and connections to local users.
Through this integrated approach, the project aims to accelerate the development of Rotterdam’s hydrogen value chain and support the practical deployment and scaling of green hydrogen.
Smart Hydrogen Hub is intended to be more than an individual installation. It will be a place where we make the entire hydrogen value chain tangible: from renewable electricity and storage to production, certification and local use. By selecting the AEM Nexus 2500, we are taking an important step toward a scalable energy system that demonstrates how green hydrogen can work in practice in a port and industrial environment,” says Auke Ferwerda, on behalf of Smart Hydrogen Hub.
Enapter sees the collaboration as an important step in the deployment of AEM electrolysis in industrial and port environments.
“Ports have a central role to play in the emerging hydrogen economy. They bring together energy infrastructure, industry, logistics and international trade flows. Smart Hydrogen Hub will demonstrate how modular AEM electrolysis can operate within this complex environment, where flexibility, scalability and reliability are essential. With the AEM Nexus 2500, we aim to contribute to a practical and replicable model for green hydrogen production in port areas,” says Christof Winker, VP SALES at Enapter.
| Arthur Scheffer, Founder of Adsensys, emphasizes the importance of execution and system integration. “The hydrogen market needs projects that progress from planning to execution. We need to start building, learn by doing and develop systems that perform reliably in practice. The selection of the AEM Nexus 2500 gives Smart Hydrogen Hub a clear technological foundation. The next step is to translate that foundation into a safe, robust and operational installation in which electrolysis, energy storage, control systems and connections to hydrogen users are properly integrated,” says Arthur Scheffer, Founder of Adsensys. |
From the perspective of the wider Rotterdam hydrogen ecosystem, Smart Hydrogen Hub can provide a practical building block for the development of demand, infrastructure and value-chain collaboration. “Rotterdam is working to build a complete hydrogen value chain. Projects such as Smart Hydrogen Hub are important because they demonstrate how production, infrastructure and demand can reinforce one another. Demonstration projects help bring technology development, market creation and collaboration closer together,” says Mark Stoelinga, Director Energy at the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
InnovationQuarter sees the project as an important contribution to the regional hydrogen innovation ecosystem. “Developing a hydrogen innovation ecosystem is one of InnovationQuarter’s priorities as the regional economic development agency. Leading technology companies such as Enapter play a crucial role in scaling green hydrogen, which is essential to decarbonizing industry and mobility in our region.Startups, scale-ups and innovative SMEs will benefit from the decentralized energy hub that Enapter will help establish in the Port of Rotterdam. Together, we are building Europe’s hydrogen hub. Curious to learn more? Visit LAUNCH2.nl,” says Mark Smith, Lead Energy & Chemistry Innovation at InnovationQuarter.
During the next phase, Smart Hydrogen Hub and its partners will continue work on detailed engineering, permitting, financing, agreements with local hydrogen users and integration of the installation at the M4H location. The ambition is to develop the hub into a replicable model for local and regional green hydrogen production, with applications in industry, mobility, the maritime sector and sustainable area development.
About Smart Hydrogen Hub
Smart Hydrogen Hub is a Rotterdam-based demonstration initiative for green hydrogen production, energy storage, energy-system integration, certification, local use and knowledge sharing. The initiative brings together public and private partners to support the practical application of green hydrogen in port and industrial environments. Smart Hydrogen Hub is being developed in Rotterdam’s M4H district in collaboration with Platform Zero, Adsensys and other regional partners.
About Enapter
Enapter develops anion exchange membrane, or AEM, electrolyzers for the production of green hydrogen. The company’s patented AEM technology supports modular and responsive hydrogen production and does not rely on scarce iridium-based catalysts. The Enapter Group is headquartered in Germany and operates its principal research and production site in Italy.
