January 27, 2025 [Hydrocarbon Engineering] – Vopak Vlaardingen in the port of Rotterdam has installed and put to use an E-boiler.

The commissioning of the e-boiler fits in seamlessly with the sustainability ambitions of Vopak Vlaardingen. The terminal is specialised in the storage of, among other things, vegetable oils and fats, in the form of food products, and (feedstocks for) biofuels. In 2023, 16 new tanks were installed to safely store waste-based vegetable/animal raw materials for the production of biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel. It is expected that the demand for these more sustainable fuels will grow in Europe.

Many of the products stored at Vopak Vlaardingen must be heated in order to be transported. By now using a 10 MW electric boiler for this heating, approximately 3500 tpy of CO2 are saved, which is equivalent to the gas consumption and CO2 emissions of approximately 2000 households. Since 2021, the terminal has switched to green electricity, enabling CO2-neutral operation of the e-boiler.

In addition, the e-boiler will reduce the pressure on the national electricity grid by using the e-boiler at full capacity as soon as an abundance of wind and/or solar energy is available on the grid and storing the heat for use at a later time.

Walter Moone, President Vopak Netherlands, said: “Vopak’s infrastructure plays a important role in the Netherlands, both in terms of energy security and in the energy transition. With this e-boiler, we can fulfil our role in a more sustainable way. We would like to thank everyone involved, both inside and outside Vopak, who helped make this happen.

Koen Kegel, alderman at the Municipality of Vlaardingen, commented: “The municipality of Vlaardingen is proud of companies like Vopak that take responsibility for reducing their own CO2 emissions. The new electric boiler plays a major role in this. This innovation saves an amount of gas that is equivalent to the consumption of thousands of households.

At the invitation of Vopak Vlaardingen, alderman Kegel of the municipality of Vlaardingen performed the festive official opening ceremony for a new e-boiler at Vopak Vlaardingen.