Norway’s Hydrogen Strategy is an opportunity for Polish shipbuilding hubs

By Marek Grzybowski

Norway plans to implement low-emission and green hydrogen on a large scale in all sectors in the country that are difficult to decarbonize and support the energy transition in Europe and the world. Both the EU and Norwegian hydrogen strategies recognize this raw material as essential to achieving a society with net zero emissions by 2050. In Poland, we have a strategy, several hydrogen valleys and a few stations refueling with grey hydrogen. So there is someone to learn from, how to implement the hydrogen strategy based on our own research potential and companies.

Government funds support projects in Norway that aim to find the golden mean. The aim is to design such systems that will allow hydrogen to be produced in an environmentally friendly way, at competitive costs and in sufficient quantities to achieve the assumed climate goals.
– Norway has more promising hydrogen projects than ever before. We are building a sustainable hydrogen industry step by step, brick by brick – says Ivar-Jo Theien from Innovation Norway.
Hydrogen is said to come in a rainbow of ecological colours – green, blue, pink and yellow. However, the fact is that the hydrogen produced today is mainly grey, based on natural gas, and its production process emits large amounts of CO2.

– The hydrogen strategy is a contribution to the development of new technologies and low-emission solutions. A greater focus on hydrogen in Norway is in line with the goal of having internationally competitive companies that develop technology and solutions that meet the challenges of tomorrow. We will understand the opportunities that the green transformation offers – emphasise Tina Bru, Minister of Petroleum and Energy, and Sveinung Rotevatn, Minister of Climate and the Environment, in the introduction to the Norwegian hydrogen strategy. The Norwegian report notes that “Around 70 million tonnes of hydrogen are used annually worldwide, mainly in the chemical industry and oil refining. Around 90 percent of the hydrogen used in Europe is currently produced from natural gas, which generates significant emissions.”

Poland among the leading producers of grey hydrogen
Poland is the third largest producer of hydrogen in the European Union and the fifth largest in the world. Most grey hydrogen is produced for the chemical industry and fertilizer production. The Polish hydrogen strategy assumes that 32 hydrogen refueling and bunkering stations will be built by 2030. Such a station was recently opened in Gdańsk. The NESO station will be used to refuel buses and passenger cars. The station is mainly intended to provide fuel for hydrogen NesoBuses.
On Thursday, the first of the zero-emission vehicles ordered by the city from the Polsat Group and ZE PAK were officially presented. In June this year, Orlen opened its first publicly available hydrogen refueling station in the country in Poznań. The group announces that it intends to build over 100 hydrogen refueling stations by 2030. The ASE Technology Group is involved in the design and construction of hydrogen stations, among others.
The advantage of hydrogen as an engine fuel is that hydrogen, when burned, emits only water vapor and warm air. Its supporters emphasize that this makes it an ideal alternative to fuels from fossil fuels. It can therefore be used in industry, land vehicle and ship drives. It is emphasized that hydrogen storage facilities are a good option for large-scale energy storage.
There is still little talk about the disadvantages of hydrogen solutions, which require significant amounts of energy to generate, and hydrogen tanks, electrolyzers and refueling stations are still expensive devices. The introduction of hydrogen to industry and transport is justified by ecology.

Norway a hydrogen pioneer
During the Polish hydrogen seminar at Nor Shipping 2023, Tanja Erichsen, Senior Business Development Manager, Agder H2 Cluster, presented the Norwegian hydrogen strategy. The Norwegian government is consistently building a comprehensive value chain related to the use of hydrogen. That is why large expenditures are directed to various areas of activity.

– Let’s not forget why we are developing clean hydrogen. We are doing it for the climate – emphasizes Theien, Senior Business Developer for Hydrogen, Ammonia and CCUS. And according to many Norwegians, this is a full justification for the significant expenditures on the development of hydrogen technologies and programs.

Agder, or more precisely Kristiansand, was recently designated by Enova as one of five national hydrogen hubs for maritime transport. Almost simultaneously, GCE NODE and partners received funds for a new 3-year project aimed at further developing the hydrogen industry in Agder. At the end of June last year, Enova has awarded NOK 148 million to Greenstat and Everfuel in Kristiansand for the production and sale of liquefied hydrogen for ships and heavy transport, as we wrote here.

Unfortunately, after the seminar, the Polish and Norwegian potential partners went their separate ways and it was not possible to transform the seminar into lasting business and project relations. The initiated partnership is maintained only in the form of information exchange between maritime clusters. It is therefore worth taking a closer look at how the Norwegians are consistently implementing the hydrogen strategy.
Innovation Norway emphasizes that “With a global portfolio of renewable energy assets, Norway is a well-positioned pioneer in the production of green hydrogen”. In Norway, green hydrogen is produced in a zero-emission process using water electrolysis with renewable energy. – Norway is uniquely positioned to take green hydrogen to the next phase of maturity. It is also a pioneer in the field of low-emission blue hydrogen – states the obvious fact Innovation Norway. The strong financial base of the offshore oil & gas industry is used here.
– Norway combines its proud offshore and maritime heritage with its 100-year history of hydrogen production in the 21st century race to mitigate climate change, explains Theien.

Hydrogen on sea routes
Norway can already boast several world achievements in the use of hydrogen, which set the direction in which the entire hydrogen production chain should develop, all the way to the customer market. It is emphasized that a significant milestone and a spectacular example is the MF Hydra. In fact, it is an electric ferry using cells.

It is the first ferry in the world powered by PEM fuel cells operating on liquid hydrogen. The hydrogen tanks and cells are enough for 12 days of operation of the ship and sailing on designated routes. We wrote about the ferry here [https://www.gospodarkamorska.pl/wodor-na-pokladzie-norled-przeciera-szlak-dla-statkow-zeroemisyjne-polska-ma-w-tym-swoj-udzial-68647].

The Norwegians have not yet mastered the entire chain of production and distribution of green hydrogen. The MF Hydra onshore bunkering station receives hydrogen from a German manufacturer. Around four metric tons of liquid hydrogen are delivered by tanker from Linde’s plant in Germany. The cars have to travel around a thousand kilometers. The bunker is stored on the upper deck of the ferry in cylindrical tanks with a capacity of 80 m3.

More hydrogen-powered ferries are being built. They will be able to make the three-hour journey between Bodø and Lofoten. This will be Norway’s longest and most exposed to adverse weather conditions so far. The ferries are scheduled to start carrying people and vehicles in 2025.

Millions of  NOK for research, development and production
NOK is not only being spent on the production of hydrogen-powered ferries. Manufacturers are also receiving support. The world leaders in building hydrogen production capacity are Nel and HydrogenPro. They manufacture electrolyzers for green hydrogen production. Statkraft, the largest renewable energy supplier in Europe, has joined the team and is investing heavily in green hydrogen.
Innvation Norway states that “Building on such successes, several well-funded, prestigious projects are currently being implemented to use green hydrogen. They are part of the Norwegian government’s strategy to increase the focus on research and development of hydrogen-related technologies.”

“This is not a solo performance. To be successful with hydrogen, we need partnership and cooperation between government, industry and research in an international environment,” says Theien. And here we can say that the Poles did not take advantage of the efforts made by the Polish Embassy in Norway together with the Polish Investment and Trade Agency in Oslo. The Polish-Norwegian seminar was only an opportunity to present selected fragments of the Polish path to green hydrogen.

In Norway, investments are consistently being made in the implementation of the hydrogen strategy, in which Polish companies could participate. Recently, the state-owned Enova granted EUR 61 million for five groups of plants producing green hydrogen. The planned hubs are located along the Norwegian coast. The hubs will be an important part of the Norwegian infrastructure for producing clean hydrogen. Their task will be to include Norwegian producers in cooperation with the EU hydrogen valleys emerging in Europe.

In addition, EUR 41 million has been allocated to finance seven innovative ships powered by hydrogen and ammonia. Part of the production could be carried out by the Polish zero-emission ship production hub initiated by the BSSC cluster. The hubs and ships are closely linked, because the hubs will be able to supply fuel to hydrogen-powered ships, the construction of which was financed by Enova. All five hubs will have the production capacity to provide hydrogen for 35-40 ships, the Norwegians announce. So this number of units could be built in Poland.

Ammonia in batteries
It is not only the Norwegian government that is funding projects to ensure the production of zero-emission units. The EU is also providing funding for Norwegian projects related to the use of ammonia as a ship fuel. As part of the ShipFC project, the world’s first high-power ammonia-based fuel cell array will be installed on a Norwegian ship.

ShipFC has achieved important progress in the project, as the Norwegian Maritime Authority approved the feasibility of an ammonia-based fuel system for the Viking Energy vessel at the beginning of this month. The vessel belongs to the oil field operator Eidesvik Offshore ASA.

In the EU-funded ShipFC project, the partners intend to equip the Viking Energy supply vessel with an ammonia-based fuel system and a 2-megawatt solid oxide fuel cell system. This will enable long-distance voyages without greenhouse gas emissions, proving that long-distance, zero-carbon voyages with high power are possible on larger vessels.
– The Norwegian Maritime Authority has issued a preliminary assessment for Eidesvik AS for the Viking Energy vessel. The Norwegian Maritime Authority hopes that this project marks the beginning of a green transformation in the offshore segment,” says Ivar Ingvaldsen from the New Maritime Technologies Section at the Norwegian Maritime Authority.
– This is a very important milestone, recognizing the considerable work that has gone into the ShipFC project. It shows that everything we have planned in this pioneering project is feasible, taking into account the regulatory requirements, says Lars Vestbøstad, Technical Development Manager at Eidesvik AS.

The ShipFC project is carried out by a consortium of 14 European companies and institutions, coordinated by the Norwegian Maritime Cluster Maritime CleanTech. The project is supported by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, as part of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

The Norwegian hydrogen program has gained momentum and there are all the premises, and above all the finances, that the cycle from producer to consumer will be complete. Importantly, the Norwegians are strongly focusing on the development and application of hydrogen technologies in maritime transport. For now, about 40 units are planned with hydrogen and ammonia power. Polish hubs involved in the construction of zero-emission ships and the production of energy storage and distribution devices as part of Green Tech have a chance to appear on the Norwegian market. Cooperation in research, development and production may pay off with entry into international markets.