RIFT chooses Rotterdam for development of circular iron fuel
The choice for Rotterdam is closely linked to the arrival of South Holland-based InnovationQuarter as an investor in RIFT.
Published on May 10, 2026
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Technology company RIFT has selected the Port of Rotterdam as the site for developing a commercial production facility for circular iron fuel. To this end, a reservation agreement has been signed for a site in the Margriethaven area on the Maasvlakte. With this agreement, the Port of Rotterdam Authority is making a greenfield location available for the project's further development.
In the electrified production facility, iron oxide (rust) will be converted into circular iron fuel using low-CO₂ hydrogen. This fuel can be used by industrial customers to generate heat and steam without direct CO₂ emissions at the point of use. The spent fuel is then centrally reprocessed. RIFT is an Eindhoven-based technology scale-up developing this technology specifically for industrial heat processes that are difficult to decarbonize through electrification alone.
Essential elements
RIFT sees Rotterdam as a suitable location to move from development to implementation. CEO Mark Verhagen said: “Rotterdam brings together essential elements: access to hydrogen, industrial demand, and a strong network of partners. Building on the support of InnovationQuarter, we are connecting production, infrastructure, and application here, taking the next step toward realization.”
Over the coming period, RIFT and the Port of Rotterdam Authority will work together to further develop and integrate the facility. RIFT expects the production facility to become operational around 2031.
Earlier, RIFT stated its intention to build a production facility at the Port of Antwerp. It remains unclear whether that plan is still under consideration.
InnovationQuarter
According to the startup, the choice for Rotterdam is strongly related to the arrival of South Holland-based InnovationQuarter as an investor in RIFT. “Since then, we’ve spent quite some time in and around Rotterdam. Not just because of meetings or partnerships, but because this region naturally brings together many of the things needed to move industrial innovation forward: infrastructure, industry, logistics, energy, and the willingness to build something new together.”