Nel and Statkraft pave the way for a green hydrogen value chain in Norway

“We are determined that we will contribute towards making Norway a leading producer of renewable hydrogen, and to establish an eco-system of electrolyser and equipment suppliers,” says Nel’s CEO Håkon Volldal and CEO of Statkraft, Christian Rynning-Tønnesen.

The announcement was made in connection with the German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck’s visit to Nel’s fully automated electrolyser manufacturing facility at Herøya in Norway. The Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, Jan Christian Vestre, is also joining the delegation together with his colleague, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Terje Lien Aasland. The ministers are enthusiastic about the two companies’ plans for a green hydrogen value chain in Norway.

“It is encouraging that leading Norwegian players such as Nel and Statkraft are planning value chains for green hydrogen in Norway. This is an important step in the right direction to achieve our ambitions to build a coherent value chain for hydrogen and facilitate the production of hydrogen with no or low emissions to cover the national demand for hydrogen”, says Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland.

Statkraft recently placed a purchase order for 40 MW of alkaline electrolyser equipment from Nel. The electrolyser stacks will be produced at Nel’s manufacturing plant at Herøya and used for the production of renewable hydrogen in one of Statkraft’s many hydrogen projects.

As Europe’s largest supplier of renewable energy, Statkraft has the ambition to accelerate its annual development rate to 4 GW of new power production per year and to add 2 GW of renewable hydrogen production by 2030. In Norway Statkraft will strengthen its efforts in developing new renewable power production as well as flexibility within hydropower and wind power both on- and offshore.

“The contract with Nel is the first important step in materializing our ambitious target of 2 GW of green hydrogen and securing production capacity for our diverse pipeline of hydrogen projects,” says Rynning-Tønnesen.

Volldal is very excited to have Statkraft on the customer list.

“Statkraft is Europe’s largest producer of renewable energy and a well reputed and highly knowledgeable renewable energy company with an ambitious growth agenda. We are extremely proud that they have elected us as a supplier of green hydrogen technology,” Volldal says.

“With this and other orders Nel is strengthening its position as a leading supplier and exporter of hydrogen equipment, which is crucial for the green transition in Europe and beyond, and for the development of new green jobs in Norway,” Volldal says.