Provaris Energy announced it has executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Norwegian Hydrogen AS, a Norwegian-based developer of H₂ production hubs and value chains across the Nordic region, to collaborate on the development on green H₂ value chain projects in the Nordics.

The collaboration brings together the skills, experience and ambitions of both companies to accelerate the development of a H₂ value chain covering large scale production and export of H₂ to the key ports of Europe.

The MoU provides a framework to jointly undertake a Concept Design Study to:

• Review identified sites and select a preferred location suitable for domestic and export volumes of H₂.
• Undertake a technical and economic review for the production and supply of compressed gaseous green H₂ to nominated European ports.

The scope of the study will include the renewable power supply, H₂ production, compression facilities, storage, infrastructure for jetty loading and unloading, Provaris’ H₂Neo carrier, and import infrastructure required at identified import locations. Application for suitable funding schemes available through national schemes and the European Union will also be made.

“Provaris is delighted to collaborate with Norwegian Hydrogen to accelerate our development ambitions of an integrated export hydrogen project from the Nordic region that will benefit from the simplicity and efficiency of compressed hydrogen as a marine carrier,” said Martin Carolan, Provaris Managing Director and CEO.

“The Nordic region offers several advantages that can include low-cost hydro power, proximity to offtake markets and supportive governments committed to supplying hydrogen to Europe. This collaboration also has strategic alignment with the development timeline of our H₂Neo carrier and validation of the increasing interest for our compressed H₂ transport solution for hydrogen supply into Europe.”

Norwegian Hydrogen was founded in 2020 by a group of Norwegian industrial investors targeting opportunities to develop H₂ production and supply chains to meet the growing demand for zero emission solutions in the Nordics and beyond. The original investors bring complementary expertise to Norwegian Hydrogen, ranging from technology development (including compressed H₂), electrical utilities, through to H₂ and O₂ offtake.

Jens Berge, Norwegian Hydrogen’s CEO said, “We are excited to work with Provaris on a solution which will bring green hydrogen to the EU market in a flexible, cost effective and timely manner. The vast experience and diverse capabilities within the combined Provaris and Norwegian Hydrogen team, along with a huge demand for green hydrogen in the EU, makes this a great opportunity for both parties.”

Norwegian Hydrogen are taking a leading role in the North European zero emission H₂ market by offering green H₂ to a wide range of mobility and industrial offtakers with an initial focus on production and demand in the Nordics. Norwegian Hydrogen has recently established additional offices in Scandinavia, and it has brought in Mitsui & Co., Ltd. as its second largest shareholder. Through its accessible production and infrastructure opportunities in the Nordics, Norwegian Hydrogen can develop large scale H₂ and export facilities leveraging low-cost renewable energy sources.

Norwegian Hydrogen advanced development status is evidenced through the company’s Hellesylt Hydrogen Hub Pilot-E project, which will develop and demonstrate a complete green H₂ supply chain in the Northwestern region of Norway. The project that will commence production later this year (2023) is paving way for the company’s pipeline of significantly larger projects all over the Nordics.

Collaboration to target the export of green H₂ by 2027

Norwegian Hydrogen has established itself as a developer of green H₂ supply in Norway with its foundation project, the Hellesylt Hydrogen Hub Pilot-E project to be operational in 2023. The collaboration with Provaris allows Norwegian Hydrogen to accelerate their ambitions for scaling-up volumes of compressed H₂ from multiple sites across the entire Nordic region for export to the major import hubs in Europe, with Provaris to contribute its experience in the development of compressed green H₂ export projects, that include the 2.8GW Tiwi H₂ development project in Australia. This collaboration can deliver over time giga-scale quantities of green H₂ commencing in 2027 and addressing REPowerEU’s ambition to import 10 MMt of renewable H₂ in the EU by 2030.

Per Roed, Provaris Chief Technical Officer said, “In August 2022, Provaris Norway AS was established strategically as our European hub to establish partnerships that can leverage the availability of low-cost, stable green energy in close proximity to major European import hubs. Our collaboration with Norwegian Hydrogen is an example of our strategy to position the Nordics a first-mover and leader in export projects. We are very excited to join forces with Norwegian Hydrogen who share our ambition to target fast-track opportunities to commence hydrogen exports.”

With the goal of an export supply chain to be in operation by 2027, the first step will be the completion of a Design Concept Study by the end of 1H2023, at which time the parties will agree on the location and scale of the first fast-track production and export project, responsibilities and timing for a detailed feasibility, along with the identification of additional collaboration partners to establish a green hydrogen value chain and export facility in the Nordics.

Sites identified for export of green H₂ to Europe

Provaris and Norwegian Hydrogen will focus on identified sites for green H₂ export, with a short sailing distance to some of the major planned H₂ import hubs in Netherlands and Germany. This includes sites in Norway, where the government recently announced its agreement with German counterparts for the export of H₂. Potential import hubs in the UK could have equivalent, and advantageous proximity to source location(s). At these short distances, Provaris’ proprietary compressed H₂ H2Neo carrier has demonstrated to be very cost competitive compared to alternative transportation, storage and conversion vectors of H₂. The scope of the MoU will focus on the development of the full value chain, including production, maritime transportation and distribution to offtakers.

Germany and the Netherlands are considered key import locations in the EU, and both countries are well advanced in planning and developing H₂ backbones / pipelines that allows for advantageous integration and operations with Provaris’ compressed H₂ solution.

Provaris to leverage membership with Norwegian Energy Partners (NORWEP)

To assist with increasing market awareness of compressed H₂ marine transport and the identification of collaboration partners and offtake markets, Provaris has recently joined NORWEP, an organization aiming to support and assist organizations in the internationalization of their collective technology and industry. NORWEP has more than 300 partners/company members from the Norwegian offshore, energy and maritime industries; representing more than 90% of the export from Norwegian industries.

Provaris is already working with a number of these partners, and we look forward to the opportunity to find additional partners from this large pool of leading energy companies. Moreover, NORWEP’s local energy advisors in the EU will support Provaris with options for landing compressed H₂ into EU’s developing H₂ infrastructure.