FLIE launches pilot hall at SubZero Rotterdam for a stronger and more sustainable industrial Europe
A new home for industrial electrification and climate innovation
To become less dependent on energy imports, scarce raw materials and foreign technology, Europe must accelerate its efforts to produce its own sustainable energy and scale up innovative industrial technologies. With the opening of a new pilot hall at SubZero in Rotterdam, Fieldlab Industrial Electrification (FLIE) is taking a concrete step towards realising this ambition. The location offers companies a practical environment to develop, test and scale up Power-to-X technologies and processes for electrification and sustainability on a relevant industrial scale.
On 1 April last, the lease agreement for the pilot hall was signed by PlatformZero and TNO. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is involved in the development of the facility from its role as investor. With the help of subsidy from the province of South Holland, the necessary infrastructure will be realised. This marks an important milestone and lays the foundation for the commissioning of the facility, where FLIE works with partners on applicable solutions for making industrial processes more sustainable.
SubZero: strategic spot for climate innovation in Rotterdam
FLIE's new pilot hall is located at SubZero on Keileweg, in Rotterdam's Merwe-Vierhavensgebied (M4H). SubZero is developing as a climate-tech hub where start-ups, scale-ups and industrial partners come together around sustainable solutions for port and industry.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority fulfils a facilitating role by enabling accommodation, infrastructure and the link to the port and industry cluster. From that role, the Port Authority supports initiatives that contribute to innovation, sustainability and the future-proofing of the port and industry of Rotterdam.
The entire hall covers 2,700 m² of test and production space, of which FLIE will occupy 800 m² for its own pilot and test facilities. Its location in the port and industrial cluster offers users direct proximity to industrial infrastructure, logistics and end users.
Who do we help and with what?
The pilot hall is aimed at industrial end-users, technology providers, energy companies and knowledge institutions that want to take concrete steps in the energy transition. The focus is on technologies around hydrogen, energy storage, industrial heat and carbon capture & utilisation (CCU).
FLIE offers access to advanced test facilities, TNO's knowledge and expertise on industrial electrification and system integration, and the market knowledge and connection to FME's industrial network. InnovationQuarter supports companies in their scale-up through connecting with partners, financing and regional knowledge, and contributes to an active inflow of new test projects, so that FLIE continues to develop as a test and scale-up environment for industrial sustainability innovation. The facilities are specifically designed for technologies in TRL levels 4 to 6, with support for scale-up from prototype to field validation.
Collaboration and ecosystem
FLIE is working closely with a growing network of partners who are jointly accelerating the energy transition. Platform Zero has also joined the FLIE partnership with the role of accelerating market development. In this way, they contribute through scouting, screening and access to relevant networks and funding opportunities. Together with this community of partners, FLIE offers a coherent value chain: from idea scouting to validation and scale-up in industrial practice. This next step builds on what FLIE, together with Deltalinqs, FME, InnovationQuarter, Port of Rotterdam and TNO, has already built in recent years. The opening of the pilot hall emphatically marks the beginning of a new phase; further developments, new pilots and additional collaborations will follow in the coming period. In this respect, FLIE's activities are strongly supported by the ERDF grant, the Municipality of Rotterdam and the Province of South Holland.
Interested?
Does your organisation have sustainability ambitions and would you like to explore the possibilities of electrification? Or do you supply an electrification solution and want to get in touch with industrial end-users and other relevant stakeholders? Then get in touch with us!
