Gexcon is Involved in the Development of Liquid Hydrogen Supply Chain for Maritime Applications in Norway

A consortium of major industry players in the hydrogen field has been awarded NOK 33.5 million under the PILOT-E funding scheme for the development of liquid hydrogen (LH2) supply chain for maritime applications. The aim of the project is to build a full-scale national hydrogen infrastructure in order to secure a reliable supply chain of LH2 to decarbonize maritime transport in Norway. This value chain will be the first of its kind in the world.

The consortium consists of BKK, Equinor, Air Liquide, NCE Maritime CleanTech, NORCE, Norled, NorSea Group, Viking Ocean Cruises, and Wilhelmsen. Gexcon is a part of this consortium through our parent company, NORCE.

“We are very glad and thankful to be a part in developing a green hydrogen solution in Norway and we are looking forward to working together with our partners,” said Geirmund Vislie, Vice President Hydrogen Safety of Gexcon AS. “Gexcon’s role in the project will be focused on ensuring safe implementation of the hydrogen supply chain infrastructure.”

Important for The Industry

Jannicke Hilland, CEO of BKK, mentioned, “this is a very important day for the industry and for the maritime sector. Currently, there are ongoing hydrogen projects within the fields of cruise ships, offshore vessels, ferries and fast ferries in Norway, but in order to accelerate shipping’s transition to zero-emission solutions, we need to establish a supply chain for green hydrogen. This project, therefore, gives great potential for both industrial development and significant emission reductions.”

Lars Strandberg, VP Hydrogen Energy Europe Industries of Air Liquide, stated, “Air Liquide brings to the project more than 40 years of experience in producing and distributing liquid hydrogen, safely and reliably.  Liquid hydrogen-based on renewable energy will become a competitive zero-emission option for shipping when produced at strategic locations in large volumes, and when offered through an efficient and secured supply chain. The project aims to facilitate the efficient and secured supply chain to make this transition happen”

The First of Its Kind in The World

Steinar Eikaas, Vice President for Low Carbon Solutions of Equinor, said, “This value chain would be a first of its kind in the world, and would be an important step in developing clean fuels for the maritime sector. Equinor is happy to be part of this strong consortium, and to be working with the very innovative and forward-looking Norwegian maritime ecosystem which includes public and private actors.”

Trond Moengen, Director of PILOT-E, stated, “We are happy to support an ambitious and innovative project that will be of great importance for the development towards zero-emission shipping, both in Norway and internationally. Hydrogen is one of the solutions we have great expectations for, and this project will contribute to promoting Norway’s leading position within the development of green maritime solutions.”

About Pilot-E

The PILOT-E scheme is a funding scheme for the Norwegian business sector launched as a collaboration between the Research Council, Innovation Norway, and Enova SF. The objective of the scheme is to promote more rapid development and deployment of new, environment-friendly energy technologies and services to help reduce emissions both in Norway and internationally.

For More Information

Geirmund Vislie

Vice President Hydrogen Safety of Gexcon AS

geirmund.vislie@gexcon.com

About Members of the Consortium

BKK – BKK’s core activities are the generation, sale and transmission of electric power, and the extension of fiber networks. Our vision is “We provide new opportunities for tomorrow”. BKK shall lead the way in developing climate-friendly energy and future-oriented infrastructure solutions. We shall be a leading future-oriented energy and infrastructure company, playing a key role in social development in the future. The Group’s main strategy is based on our core values: value creation, social responsibility, initiative, and reliability. https://www.bkk.no/

Equinor – Equinor is the leading operator on the Norwegian continental shelf and has substantial international activities. We are engaged in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas, as well as wind and solar power. We sell crude oil and are a major supplier of natural gas, with activities in processing, refining, and trading. Our activities are managed through eight business areas, staff and support divisions, and we have operations in North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania, and Norway. https://www.equinor.com/

Air Liquide – A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 80 countries with approximately 66,000 employees and serves more than 3.6 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter, and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902. https://www.airliquide.com/

NCE Maritime Cleantech – NCE Maritime CleanTech (NCE MCT) represents one of the world’s most complete maritime commercial hubs. Our cluster organization uses the Norwegian maritime expertise, built up over generations, as a springboard for the development of new energy-efficient and environment-friendly technologies. We focus on establishing sustainable innovation projects with commercial potential and work together for new clean maritime solutions. https://maritimecleantech.no

NORCE (Norwegian Research Centre) – NORCE is a new and forward-looking research institute, with expertise in a wide range of fields and strong communities of knowledge. We deliver research and innovation in energy, health care, climate, the environment, society, and technology. Our solutions address key challenges for society and contribute to value creation on the local, national and global levels. https://www.norceresearch.no

Norled – Norled is one of Norway’s largest ferry and express boat operators. The company has 80 vessels and operates ferry and express boat services from the Oslofjord to Troms county. Norled has invested significantly in new types of vessels and eco-friendly technology and has developed solutions used solely by the company. https://www.norled.no/

NorSea Group – NorSea is a privately-owned company founded in 1965. The company provides supply bases and integrated logistics solutions to the energy industry. NorSea and its associates and joint ventures operate nine supply bases along the coast of Norway, as well as supply bases in Denmark and the UK. We want to play a role in shaping it. We are, with our subsidiaries and partnerships, well-positioned to offer customized and integrated solutions in highly sophisticated supply chains – ensuring an efficient and collaborative supply chain through digital innovation. https://norseagroup.com/

Viking Ocean Cruises – With an operational office in Basel, Switzerland, Viking provides destination-focused itineraries designed for experienced travelers who have an interest in geography, culture, and history. Each journey includes a shore excursion in every port and an exclusive Viking Culture Curriculum program that provides deep immersion in the destination through performances of music and art, cooking demonstrations, informative port talks and carefully selected guest lecturers. https://www.vikingcruises.co.uk/

Wilhelmsen – The Wilhelmsen group operates the largest maritime network on the planet, with over 2,200 locations worldwide. Delivering market-leading products and services to over half of the world’s merchant fleet, we also supply best in class crew and technical management to the biggest and most complex vessels currently at sea. Consistently developing innovative, customer-focused and sustainable solutions, were taking an active role in shaping the maritime industry for the future. In addition, through our investments, we are exploring new opportunities, with new partners, within the renewable energy, alternative fuels, offshore and technology industries. https://www.wilhelmsen.com/

As part of NORCE

Gexcon – Gexcon is a world-leading company in the field of safety and risk management and advanced dispersion, explosion and fire modelling. Our experience is built up throughout extensive research projects, safety assessments, accident investigations, and physical experiments. https://www.gexcon.com/

Prototech – Prototech is a provider of technology development, engineering, product design and manufacturing services covering a broad spectrum of areas including space applications, new energy systems, offshore technology as well as industrial and consumer products. The major application areas are technology for space, offshore, subsea and maritime sector. Prototech is supplying its customers in these sectors with designs, calculations, prototypes and custom-made hardware for operation in demanding environments, from the depths of the ocean floor to the International Space Station (ISS) and beyond. https://www.prototech.no/