Finnmark has Norway's largest factory to produce green H2. It is located in Berlevåg and is owned by Varanger KraftHydrogen—a subsidiary of Varanger Kraft. Now, the plans to use the H2 are about to be realized, through a collaboration with the company Norwegian Hydrogen.
“We have entered into a cooperation agreement that states that we will produce green hydrogen, and Norwegian Hydrogen will build the fueling infrastructure and distribute the hydrogen. Together we will help the market mature and work with potential customers. It is a collaboration we believe has great potential,” said Christian Bue, CEO Varanger KraftHydrogen AS.
Norwegian Hydrogen’s head office is in Ålesund, but the company is also present in several other locations in the Nordic region. They have several projects in both Sweden and Denmark, but CEO Jens Berge emphasizes that they are serious about the collaboration with Varanger KraftHydrogen and that the company will invest in Finnmark.
“The fact that hydrogen is already being produced in Finnmark is unique and a reason to invest. We also experience that both municipalities and Finnmark county are far more proactive here than in other parts of the country. In addition, we of course believe that this will be good business in the long run, said Jens Berge, CEO Norwegian Hydrogen AS.
Berge reveals that they have already entered into an agreement to rent an office in Berlevåg and have established a separate company with responsibility for Arctic areas, Arctic Hydrogen AS.
3-4 stations in the first phase
In the first phase, the two companies are planning 3-4 stations in East Finnmark. Berlevåg is given since that is where the factory is located.
An emission-free energy carrier
Cars, buses, or other vehicles/vessels that run on H2 will only emit clean water. Since the H2 from Berlevåg is produced from renewable electricity, it is green and emission-free in both production and use. This means that those who choose to replace fossil fuels with H2 can cut all their emissions.
Seeking support from Enova
H2 production in Berlevåg has started thanks to funding support from EU. For the fueling infrastructure, both Norwegian Hydrogen and Varanger KraftHydrogen expect Norwegian Enova to grant support.
