Norwegian Hydrogen and Provaris Energy are extending their partnership to explore the development of new hydrogen export facilities in the Nordic region, Kallanish learns.

The companies plan to use findings from the pre-development activities of the 270-megawatt FjordH2 project completed last year to review potential sites for hydrogen development projects. Deemed to be Norway’s largest green hydrogen production facility, FjordH2 can export 40,000 tonnes/year of green hydrogen.

Already, the companies have identified “several sites with significant export potential,” according to Norwegian Hydrogen ceo Jens Berge. The projects will be located in areas with access to grid connections and power supplies, with capacity for electrolysers and hydrogen compression facilities linked to export jetties.

“While such locations could also be used to produce other derivatives such as e-methanol or green ammonia, we strongly believe that if the end demand is for gaseous hydrogen, nothing would be better than to avoid going via a derivative solely for transportation purposes,” Berge adds, in a statement. 

While Australia-based Provaris’ H2Neo carriers will transport the hydrogen, the H2Leo barge will facilitate the fuel’s storage. 

“Provaris’ technology makes it possible to bring hydrogen in gaseous form all the way from production in the Nordics to the customers in continental Europe,” Berge adds.

The projects will also promote circular economies by using by-products, including oxygen and waste heat, in local industries and district heating systems.

Martin Carolan, managing director and ceo of Provaris, says the partnership “can accelerate development sites that will leverage Provaris’ downstream activities for supply of green hydrogen to German utilities who are seeking regional volumes of green hydrogen.”

Germany is planning to build a €20 billion ($21.27 billion) hydrogen pipeline network connecting importing facilities and production sites to end-users across the country.

Provaris recently partnered with Global Energy Storage (GES) to develop a gaseous hydrogen import facility at the GES terminal in the Port of Rotterdam. This terminal is expected to facilitate market access to industrial offtake markets within the port and the wider Europe.