– It really took off – E24

There has been a lot of hydrogen news recently in Norway, including several IPOs from technology companies, specific projects for the use of hydrogen-powered trucks or ships, and plans to use hydrogen to reduce emissions in industry.

E24 has plotted these plans on a hydrogen map, to give readers a better overview of what is happening.

Do you know of any hydrogen plans missing from the overview? Tip E24 reporter at [email protected].

– I lost count

Sintef participates in many of these projects. Marketing Director Steffen Møller-Holst at Sintef is pleased that hydrogen has been high on the agenda in many settings.

– It has really taken off in recent years. Now I have lost count. Initiatives have sprung up and industry is involved, Møller-Holst tells E24.

– We have examples of projects from north to south, in Berlevåg, Mo i Rana, Hellesylt, in Mongstad and now also in Yara in Porsgrunn, he says.

– Happy with the interest

Several hydrogen projects receive public support through the Pilot-E program, which is supported by Enova, Innovation Norway and the Research Council. Before Christmas, Enova gave NOK 219 million to Wilhelmsen, who will build two hydrogen-powered ships.

– Now there are many more players interested in hydrogen, Enova director Nils Kristian Nakstad tells E24.

– We are pleased with the interest we see, and that big and serious players enter the field with a long-term perspective and willingness to take risks. You need to cut costs, he says.

Enova tries to build a deep understanding of what it costs to produce and use hydrogen. You need to understand the challenges that need to be resolved for this to bear fruit without support.

– All of our awards shed light on this need, whether it’s for shore stations, Asko hydrogen trucks, or various initiatives in the maritime sector. It is important to us that we, together with market players, understand what is needed for further technological development, says Nakstad.

Some of the Norwegian initiatives are mentioned in the government’s hydrogen strategy, but there are also other hydrogen plans across the country.

E24 has mentioned many of these (the list is not exhaustive):

– Has started to loosen

Climate and Environment Minister Sveinung Rotevatn (V) is pleased that various players are starting to deliver concrete plans within clean energy solutions such as hydrogen and ammonia.

– I feel that this has begun to loosen, says Rotevatn to E24.

– I have been interested in hydrogen for a long time and I thought that it is a technology that we will need. It’s taken time to make this competitive, but now projects are starting to hit the assembly line, he says.

The government recently announced requirements for low-emission solutions for ferries and speedboats, and said this will help strengthen the long-term competitiveness of Norwegian shipowners and shipyards.

Rotevatn believes that the combination of public requirements and support has helped accelerate investments in hydrogen.

– This is due both to the requirements set by the state, as we do on the Bodø-Moskenes ferry route, and to the actors investing in and receiving support from the state, as we see with the Wilhelmsen hydrogen ship, Topeka says .

Change in attitude towards hydrogen

A few years ago, hydrogen was viewed by many as an impractical and expensive alternative to fossil energy. But offensive climate plans in Norway, the EU and the world are putting hydrogen on the map. The EU and individual European countries have big plans.

Hydrogen remains an expensive alternative, but greater political will can still help create a market for such solutions. In the long term, cost cuts can help make solutions profitable without support.

– Today, it is still too expensive to operate hydrogen ships, so we need state support. We believe prices will fall over time, but we will need Enova’s help at first, Wilhelmsen director Jan Eyvin Wang told E24 before Christmas.

You can participate in the EU platform

Møller-Holst believes that Norway has a lot to contribute in hydrogen.

– Those of us who have worked in the area for a long time are happy that now it is finally loosening up. Norway, as a nation, will get a lot in return for the fact that so much attention has been paid to hydrogen’s central role in meeting climate goals, he says.

The director of Sintef is particularly pleased that Norway has joined the IPCEI platform. This will unleash major emissions reduction projects across Europe, and now Norwegian players can join in too.

– It has been a long time coming, but it will be of great importance to Norwegian players who now have the opportunity to join this and participate in joint European funding, says Møller-Holst.

– It is not an isolated island

The Minister for Climate believes that Norway can greatly benefit from the EU initiative, which opens up closer international cooperation on hydrogen solutions.

– Here, the EU has facilitated a special investment in hydrogen, where Norwegian players will also be able to participate. Norway does not operate here as an isolated island, there are good opportunities for cooperation in these technologies, says Rotevatn.

– I think many have realized that we will need different types of technologies to meet different needs. There is room for many technologies in transport, and we need both batteries and hydrogen, says the Minister.