Quarterly newsletter November
Company updates
November 2nd, 2023, Rotterdam
Dear partners, friends, and innovators,
It’s time for a new quarterly newsletter packed with company updates, exciting announcements, and insightful news. The campus is becoming more crowded, the community is growing with our monthly events, and our international ambitions are closer to realisation. Enjoy the insights to our progress with a nice cup of coffee and we hope to see you soon. Thank you for being part of our community!
First Dutch Ventures in collaboration with Platform Zero invests in UAB- Online
We are extremely proud that we can announce another investment led by Peter Goedvolk in collaboration with Platform Zero’s founders Mare Straetmans and Auke Ferwerda in UAB-Online. UAB-Online is a platform to optimise liquid bulk operations and is dedicated to supporting safe, efficient, and sustainable inland and sea shipping worldwide.
Read more here!
Organising a meetup with Minister Adriaansens, Economic Affairs and Climate, and 10 startup founders and corporate executives
We discussed the needs for innovation to grow, resulting in interesting topics such as the financing landscape for new high-risk, and capital-intensive technologies, but also other growth factors such as land and grid connection. In addition to technological risk, corporates also have to deal with market, and regulatory risk when deciding on investment decisions. But foremost, we discussed the vital role of collaboration for future (energy systems).
Together with 30 supporting partners Platform Zero joins the partnership for clean energy!
The Port of Newcastle has ambitious goals to reach a clean energy economy in the near future. As, currently, the world largest coal export port they underline the importance of a shift to future energy sources. The partners represent key industry support across clean energy production, mobility, export and bunkering, energy generation, transport, infrastructure, agriculture, education, innovation, research and development.
Read more here!
Second Hydrogen Partnership meeting with Erik Rakhou, Associate Director & Low-carbon Hydrogen lead at BCG Global
During this meeting insights on the Import and export landscape, policy maturity and global efforts for hydrogen projects. Also, two partners, the Port of Newcastle and the University of Newcastle shared their ambitions and programs, resulting in aligning research areas and further discussions for green hydrogen certification.
A scale-up founders session
From startup to scaleup.. It’s something else. Therefore, we set up this group: to exchange experience, increase collaboration for innovators operating in the same field, and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs.
Platform Zero offers a Hydrogen Executive Training, together with the Rotterdam School of Management, in January!
From startup to scaleup.. It’s something else. Therefore, we set up this group: to exchange experience, increase collaboration for innovators operating in the same field, and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs.
The Executive Training aims to support business and government professionals, who are looking to accelerate their business with hydrogen. In this intensive program, you’ll gain a deep understanding of hydrogen technologies, applications, and their impact on industries like transportation, manufacturing, and energy storage.
Our world-class experts will guide you through the latest advancements, market trends, and regulatory landscapes, enabling you to make informed decisions and lead your company into a greener, more sustainable future. Join us and lead the hydrogen revolution!
Want to know more: https://platformzero.co/hydrogen-executive-course/ or email ruben@platformzero
The Rotterdam campus was booming with events this quarter!
We organised and hosted some impactful events last quarter. We were pleased to host the first H2 Hackathon session of Battolyser Systems, discussing future renewable energy systems including hydrogen applications, hosting 40 executives on the EY North Sea Sustainability Exploration Tour, Maritime Batteries trainings, student case analyses for decarbonisation in shipping, and more!
Read more here!
Platform Zero Events
Platform Zero’s monthly community events: A preview of the coming months. To bring our community together on topics relating to energy, maritime, and climate, we host monthly events. We look forward to welcoming you!
November 9th – Emission Reduction in shipping
December 14th – Offshore energy
January 11th – Electrification in shipping
Check out our website for more information!
Since our summer break, we look back on two successful events already.
Our September event was all about Port and vessel operations of the future with Kotug & PortXChange. In October’s session we discussed Ocean Health with Van Oord’s Ocean Health initiative, which focuses on large-scale ecosystem restoration to enhance biodiversity, and Richard Hardiman, CEO of RanMarine Technology, about his company’s journey to develop small automated vessels that clear the water from plastics, oils, invasive plants and general trash.
News
Hardt Hyperloop has kicked off construction of the European Hyperloop Center in Groningen
The European Hyperloop Center, will host a 420-meter length hyperloop test facility, with a full hyperloop lane-switch. The facility is the main project of the Hyperloop Development Program. Here inventors from all around the world can test and validate their hyperloop technologies. Want to find out more click here.
Read more here!
4 Electric powered hydrofoil boats raced each other for the first time in Rotterdam during the World Port Days!
The first step to a zero emission race dream, was realised when the RaceBirds entered the water. The race in Rotterdam was a global premier of E1 series, with the official championship season scheduled to commence in 2024. The significance of this event lies in its contribution to accelerating innovation within the maritime sector to promote electrification.
As Platform Zero we are especially proud of this initiative since our co-founder, Auke Ferwerda, has made this event possible together with the teams of Purpose Pole Position and E1 Series.
Read more here!
The Porthos project has been approved!
Porthos is a Carbon Storage project under the North Sea. With this project 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 will be captured and permanently stored annually in empty gas fields beneath the North Sea seabed. PortHos is expected to start operations in 2026, but was awaiting approval for an ecological evaluation. It has been concluded that the nitrogen deposition does not have a significant effect on the adjacent natural areas. Find more information on the project here.
More extreme heatwaves because of human induced climate change
Unfortunately not all our news can be positive… Although we are already in October – which in the Netherlands is dominated with rain – June, last summer, has been the hottest ‘June’ ever recorded globally. Resulting in extremely long heat waves in America, temperatures in southern of Europe above 45 degrees Celsius and in China even above 50. Read the findings of the Extreme Heat research by Imperial College London here.
This was it for now! We hope to connect again soon. Kind regards,
Team Platform Zero
