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Tetrahedron

High, higher, highest. In the world of offshore wind energy, the most important thing is not how heavy you can lift, but how high. The latest generation of wind turbines are huge and require structures that can install them at sea. And that is what they have figured out to perfection at Tetrahedron.

“Rotterdam is the offshore port of the world. That’s where our crane belongs. And that’s why we want to build it here with our own local network. And install it here in Rotterdam on the ship.” Speaking: Rick Markestein (Senior Design Engineer) and Wilco Stavenuiter (Director).

Wilco and Rick agree that wind turbines are the most important asset in the energy transition. Wilco: “We believe in what Frans Timmermans says [in 30 years, 25 times more wind turbines in European waters, ed.] and we want to contribute to that transition. So, we’re going full throttle!” Rick: “With all the experience we have, we simply want to do what we’re good at.” Tetrahedron stands for: triangular pyramid. As the triangle is known as a strong base for constructions (think of the Eiffel Tower) you understand that the company did not choose this name lightly. Especially if you take a closer look at the model of their crane.

Tetrahedron engineers invented and patented a groundbreaking concept for a new type of crane. One that will soon be able to reach as high as 200 meters to install the very latest wind turbines at sea. Their presence on RDM has the added advantage that talent is also nearby. Engineers from TU Delft and students from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences are always nearby. Rick: “Education is important to us. That’s where we get good trainees to partner with us in innovation.”
Of these new large wind turbines, there is only one working test model in the entire world. And that one is in ... Rotterdam! To be exact, on the Maasvlakte II, on land. “That can’t be a coincidence,” laughs Wilco. “But those turbines will soon have to be placed in the sea. And that requires a suitable crane that can be sailed there.” Rick: “We have thought about that very carefully, the secret being that we are not building bigger, but higher. And that’s really something else.”
What that real secret is then, of course, is a technical story. But the big energy companies know how to manage that. Applications are now coming in from all over the world. So Tetrahedron has something special here. And especially because they are setting it up with Dutch partners, most of whom are from Rotterdam. Wilco: “It’s really very exciting. We work in a big-boy industry, yet we’re a small boy ourselves, but with international patents, smart software and a lot of attention. Growing bigger is something we like to do together with local partners.”

“The crane we have developed costs 15 to 50 million euros depending on the implementation. So, the investment does have to be sustainably cost-effective. The good thing is wind energy has become subsidy-free. That’s a big advantage. So, I dare say that this is going to be a revolution. But we are in a hurry. Hurry because the production of such a crane takes two years from contract to completion. And the competition isn’t sitting still either.” But Rick and Wilco are confident. Almost at the same time: “Our objective fits seamlessly with that of Rotterdam: Make it happen!”

You can find Tetrahedron on Klinknagelstraat 2, at RDM in the Rotterdam Makers District.

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Port XL

An ecosystem of start-ups, scale-ups, corporate partners and mentors: PortXL is an acceleration program in the maritime sector. The Innovation Dock at RDM Rotterdam is therefore a logical location for the program, which was founded in 2015. On the historic wharves of the former shipyard, you’ll find companies of all sizes. The common denominator? Innovation. We spoke with Christel Pullens, Innovation & Sustainability Director and interim director at PortXL.

Christel has worked in the maritime sector all her life. And she did so all over the world: “I started my career at a shipyard in Belgium. That was in 1997. Three years ago, I chose to become an impact-driven entrepreneur and make the maritime sector more sustainable. And that is what we are pursuing with PortXL.”

## Making the maritime sector more sustainable
Christel: “PortXL works on behalf of a number of partners, including the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Van Oord, Boskalis and Damen. At the beginning of each year, we discuss the challenges in the field of sustainability. Based on those issues, our team scouts around the world for start-ups and scale-ups that have a solution for this.” PortXL’s team makes a pre-selection, from which corporate partners choose with whom to partner. “Then the selected start-ups and scale-ups come to Rotterdam to follow our program over three months. In those three months, we work together toward some form of cooperation and a concrete result.”

## Innovation
The Innovation Dock at RDM turns out to be the ideal starting point for young companies in the maritime sector. “An example of a PortXL alumni who found a workplace here is Flower Turbines. They have since outgrown the Innovation Dock and moved to a larger factory in Zoetermeer.” In addition to the acceleration program, PortXL also provides a special master class at RDM for companies. “Many parties in the maritime sector would like to collaborate and innovate but are not so sure where to start. With the ‘Master Class Innovator in a day’, we teach them how to set up their company to work well with a start-up or scale-up. With the master class, we try to take innovation more tangible. Because innovation is a profession.”

## Women at the helm
If it were up to Christel, more positions in the maritime industry would be filled by women. To make that happen, she chairs WISTA International, a network for women in management positions in the maritime industry. “WISTA is active in 56 countries and has more than 4,000 members worldwide. We are committed to providing good role models. Particularly important for young women in the industry.”

This means Christel is making a positive impact in the maritime sector in several ways, all from the Innovation Dock at RDM Rotterdam. Want to know more about PortXL’s acceleration program and/or master classes? Go to www.portxl.org.

_Photography by Eric Fecken_

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PortXL

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Zepp.solutions

Jan Bot is one of the five founders of zepp.solutions, a specialist in hydrogen-based fuel cell systems. They develop, produce and integrate these emission-free systems for various forms of transport. With this they help companies to become more sustainable, where they might not even have thought it was possible.

At RDM you will find the test site right next to the Innovation Dock.

The business development and finance department, that’s Jan’s area. So, the five each hold slightly different positions, suited to their expertise. This group of entrepreneurs know each other from TU Delft where they formed a racing team ten years ago. They invented and manufactured hydrogen sports cars with which they competed in races. This went so well that the lap record for this type of vehicle, which driver Jan Lammers drove at the Nürburgring in 2015, has not been beaten to this day. Their car also raced to the end in a top-level race for ‘regular’ gasoline cars. Achievements of stature.

Jan Bot, who himself races classic cars as a hobby: “What we did was pure passion. We were so absorbed in it that it sometimes came at the expense of study. We did this for five years and achieved a lot. We are now reaping the benefits of that.” He himself studied technical earth science at TU, though it was mainly the love of racing that brought him into the team.

In March 2017, zepp.solutions started as a company in Delft. To be exact, in the company building of innovation accelerator Buccaneer. “We felt we had something great on our hands. This is our chance, we thought, and it soon turned out to be a success.”

A fitting example is the yard tractor they developed for Terberg, supplier of specialized commercial vehicles. In October 2020, they began testing the first concept hydrogen-powered terminal tractor in Rotterdam’s Waalhaven. The tractor runs among conventional diesel terminal tractors, pulling the same loads, and is remotely monitored to collect a multitude of data. “These types of vehicles are ideal for hydrogen applications. They run 24/7, have high energy requirements and operate in large numbers in one place. So, a charging station is then logistically well used and financially justifiable.” Meanwhile, the tractor is being tested in other locations, such as the port of Antwerp.

“For a lot of power and energy, you must go to hydrogen; you won’t make it with batteries. Certainly not if you go for zero emission. Also think about trucks and ocean-going vessels. Test runs and demonstrations with our hydrogen-powered concept vehicles are important, to make it known to the business community that these kinds of possibilities are there when looking for sustainability.”

“Two years ago, zepp.solutions started a project with Rotterdam Watertaxis. After all, it would be nice if that could also be done without emissions, Jan thinks. “The first hull has now been built, and will enter service as a test case early next year.”

Another exciting project is what they have started with Schiphol and KLM; a hydrogen system to supply clean power to stationary aircraft. A nice alternative to the many diesel generators now running in abundance there, since pure water is the only emission with hydrogen.

Terberg, Schiphol, KLM. Those are already big names. “Our proof-of-concept has already proven itself in practice with the race team. That is why we directly looked for customers who have the necessary finances, rather than initially going after investors. We do work with available grants for this type of greening process. As we start to scale up, I don’t rule out the possibility that we will seek investors later on. Although the costs are coming down quickly now and our modular approach makes this scaling up quite possible.”

“In the centre of Delft, you don’t want to tinker with flammable substances. So, we went looking for an affordable and spacious test location for fuel-cell systems. We found it here through the Port Authority and it’s very convenient for us, in an appealing environment. Innovative and representative.”

“There are fifteen of us now, but we are already looking for a larger location. Preferably where we have everything in one place. Who knows, maybe here. It would be nice to create a hydrogen bubble on RDM, with the Watertaxi around the corner. It could also just as easily become M4H. We’ll see.”

The ambition of the five young entrepreneurs is: to become European market leader! |That’s how high the bar is set. With the expertise and USP that zepp.solutions masters the entire system around hydrogen, they are going to go a long way.

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