Advanced BioFuels USA

(ACT News)  … One country that has everyone in the hydrogen industry watching is Norway. The wealthy Nordic country continues to push forward with its ambitious plans for renewable hydrogen production and fuel cell technology for maritime vessels.

There is huge potential for hydrogen produced via electrolysis with wind power, amounting to a potential 100 terawatt hours by 2050. Due to the large cost of connecting remote, windy areas of Norway to the electrical grid, a more economically viable solution for energy storage and distribution is electrolyzing, storing and transporting hydrogen.

Norway and Sweden have a Green Certificate Market to exchange renewable electricity and credits. Norway is already a net energy exporter, producing 10 times the amount of energy consumed.

Due to the large demand for hydrogen from Japan, Norway is working with Kawasaki on large scale transport between the northern part of Norway to Japan. Starting in 2025, Norway will be able to export one full Kawasaki liquid hydrogen carrier per week. This will be produced by Equinor (formerly StatOil) from natural gas with carbon capture sequestration into underground caverns in the arctic sea, creating a zero-carbon supply chain.

The first hydrogen fueled ferry will operate between Hjelmeland-Nesvik starting in 2021

Researchers at SINTEF in Trondheim, Norway are focusing on renewable hydrogen production from wind, as well as the potential for hydrogen pipelines stretching from Norway into mainland Europe by 2025.

With the mandate for all fjords to be “zero emission zones” by 2026, shipbuilders are increasing the effort to build battery electric and fuel cell ferries. The case for fuel cells on ferries is an easy one to make, as the longer routes would require 55 tons of batteries compared to ten tons of hydrogen and fuel cells.

On a vessel, weight means a lot, similar to heavy duty trucks where the more payload capacity, the better it is for business. The first hydrogen car ferry will operate on the crossing between Hjelmeland-Nesvik starting in 2021. High speed passenger ferry concepts are being developed next year.

Both fishing vessels, and oil and gas platform service vessels, are under feasibility studies to deploy hydrogen and fuel cells. There is a potential for up to 40 such ships in the next 15 years.

The Norwegian government created an ocean strategy with three centers of expertise: maritime, subsea, and seafood. All three centers are looking at incorporating hydrogen platforms.

The shipping industry in Norway is ready to use large scale hydrogen solutions. However, safety and standards for using hydrogen aboard vessels is still being researched. Most of the research is being done by DNV-GL, with pressure from Norway and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Recently, a Norwegian study found that a properly installed hydrogen fuel cell system on a vessel will pose no more risk than its diesel counterpart.  READ MORE