Understanding the challenge

The challenge: How does the Port of Rotterdam transition from a fossil fuel-based port to a sustainable and smart one? 

The Port of Rotterdam is the beating industrial heart of the Netherlands with over 150 companies and therefore almost one fifth of the country's emissions. Factories, chemical plants, and refineries all rely on massive amounts of energy: electricity, gas, and steam. 

These companies represent a tangled web of private factories, public infrastructure, multiple grid operators, and different layers of government. All with different systems and different goals.

But now, two urgent needs are clashing:

• New sustainable companies want to invest in Rotterdam, but the electricity grid is at capacity for the near future.
• Existing companies want to go green, but electrification makes the grid creak even worse.

Making a long-lasting impact

So from the port's orchestrating perspective: How do you decarbonise a complex ecosystem?

Our solution: Simulate the port's energy future – visually, locally, and realistically.

Together with the Port of Rotterdam we built a prototype of an interactive simulation that maps out the energy flow of a representative subcluster who uses what, when, and how. It lets stakeholders test different measures – locally and system-wide – and see the impact instantly.

What we model:

• Energy demand across the area – How much electricity, gas, and heat each site needs – now and in the future.
• Local energy supply options – From wind turbines and solar panels to gas-fired steam plants and e-boilers.
• Flex capacity – How companies can shift their usage to reduce peak load (e.g., delaying refrigeration up to a few hours).
• Grid congestion – When and where the network overloads – and what can ease the pressure.
• Trade-offs – Every choice impacts energy reliability, cost, and CO₂ emissions. The model makes those trade-offs visible and negotiable.

Results

The result is a prototype of an energy map, updated with real numbers, visualised in space and time, and ready for scaling and more scenario testing.

What it helps solve

• No more black box – Stakeholders can finally see where the bottlenecks are, and who can do what to fix them.
• Fact-based decision making – No guessing. Just clear effects of real interventions.
• Joint planning – Aligns stakeholders, from local factories to national grid operators, around shared bottlenecks.
• Smart development – Helps guide future area investments: where to place wind turbines, solar, or flex batteries.

“This prototype has helped us gain insight into how local energy pieces fit together, who’s using what, when, and where we hit the limits. It is the first step toward testing the impact of different scenarios and building a virtual energy system.”

Douwe van der Stroom, Head of Smart Energy & Industry, Port of Rotterdam