Nederland Waterstofland presented the award at the North Sea Port Conference in Ghent, recognizing our work in bringing the links of an ammonia and hydrogen import chain together — and our decision to commit to it now.
LBC has been named a frontrunner in hydrogen by Nederland Waterstofland, which presented its Koploper Award to LBC at the North Sea Port Conference on September 21 in the Oude Vismijn in Ghent. Alexander Fokker, General Manager of LBC Vlissingen and Duisburg, accepted the award on behalf of the team.
An award for moving, not for planning
Nederland Waterstofland created the Koploper Award to draw attention to a specific kind of contribution. Ambitions and roadmaps are plentiful; what the energy transition actually runs on is organizations prepared to commit capital and find workable answers before every variable has been resolved. The award exists to make those organizations visible.
That theme carried through the ceremony. The award was presented in part by Olympic swimming champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo, an ambassador for Nederland Waterstofland, who drew a comparison with elite sports: major change depends on people and organizations willing to go first and to accept the risk that comes with it, rather than waiting for someone else to prove the way.
Why the jury chose us
Presenting the jury's reasoning from the stage, Maarten den Dekker, Member of the Executive Board of North Sea Port, set out what distinguishes our position in North Sea Port. Vlissingen offers a strategic location within the port area, with strong onward connections into Belgium and Germany, industrial customers close by in Zeeland, and room to grow.
But the jury was explicit that geography alone does not earn the title. What persuaded them was the way we are combining different parts of the chain rather than treating them as separate businesses: large-scale import and storage of ammonia, with the ambition to bring conversion into hydrogen inside that same chain.
They also pointed to a pragmatic streak. Where an existing logistics route does not yet work well enough, our response is to look for a workable alternative rather than wait for conditions to improve. And finally, the jury weighed our willingness to invest in these plans now, while the market for hydrogen is still taking shape.
About the Koploper Award
Nederland Waterstofland is a joint initiative of Dutch ports and energy infrastructure companies working to accelerate the hydrogen economy. Its Koploper Award recognizes organizations making practical progress in building that economy in the Netherlands. The North Sea Port Conference is an annual gathering of ports, industry, government and civil society from across the region.
About LBC Vlissingen
