Norwegian Hydrogen Value Chain Report
A partnership between consulting companies Endrava and JC Gjerløw Consult, and hydrogen energy solutions company Hyon has led to a detailed report on locally produced hydrogen on the island of Smøla, Norway, for use in public transport.
The study, which was a G-PaTRA project deliverable, investigated the possibilities for the small Norwegian island of Smøla to move beyond its wind power provision into other renewable energy sectors. Project partners Møre and Romsdal County Council Administration, Smøla Business and Culture Centre, and the National Wind Energy Centre supported and commissioned the report.
Despite maintaining a leading position in wind power supply, the power cable between Smøla and the mainland has reached its capacity, preventing additional capacity expansions of turbines. A new power cable is considered to be too expensive and there is an aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport around the island and therefore hydrogen is being considered. This idea would be especially useful in reducing emissions from the high speed ferry and buses, which contribute a significant share of emissions.
Previous studies show that locally produced hydrogen presents significant advantages both for local value creation and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport. The new report was a techno-economic study into possible hydrogen value chain concepts, based around the production of hydrogen from Smøla's wind farm.
The report results showed that hydrogen could be produced at the site, given that: there was demand from the high speed ferries and local buses; the hydrogen could be made with competitive production costs; and the environmental and safety benefits of switching from diesel to hydrogen were compelling.
Further details about the study can be found in the full report in our G-PaTRA output library here.