Norway’s first hydrogen-powered ships await fuel supply to launch by 2024
The Norwegian government has allocated $ 25 million for a project to build two zero-emission hydrogen vessels for operation in the offshore industry and along the west coast of Norway. The zero-emission shipping company Topeka, which is part of the Wilhelmsen Group, said all approvals have been received for funding and is ready to move forward with the project as soon as the infrastructure and hydrogen supply would be ready for the maritime industry. They plan to have their ships in service in 2024.
“With the approval of ESA (EFTA Surveillance Authority), our hydrogen powered zero emission ships are one more step towards reality,” said Steinar Madsen, CEO of Topeka. “Now we are waiting for hydrogen to become available as a fuel for ships.”
Under the concept name ‘Topeka: base to base’, the company claims that the ships will be the first of their kind to enter commercial service in 2024. The Topeka will be built for zero emissions through a combination of 1,000 kWh of capacity. battery and a three megawatt PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) hydrogen fuel cell. Supply agreements are in place for liquid hydrogen and the company is waiting for sufficient supply to be available to support operations,
Plans call for the two ships to sail on a fixed schedule along the west coast of Norway. They will provide a transport service between the offshore supply bases, carrying cargo from coastal customers between Stavanger, Haugesund, Bergen and Kristiansund, and containerized liquid hydrogen to bunkering hubs along the same route. As such, they would become the first hydrogen-powered ships in Norway to maintain regular service and this would help build the hydrogen infrastructure.
Wilhelmsen explains that Norway’s west coast is dotted with bases serving offshore industries, with base-to-base transportation representing a heavy-load transportation route, he says, perfectly suited to liquid hydrogen operations. The bunkering hubs that will be established along the route will supply LH2 powered ships in the future, including ferries and sea tonnage.
“The base-to-base project will secure the distribution of hydrogen at sea and without emissions and is our first step towards scalable zero-emission maritime operations,” says Madsen. “With Aurora, the Mongstad liquid hydrogen plant in Norway, we will create a complete LH2 infrastructure and business ecosystem, while removing some 25,000 trucks from the roads each year. Once the LH2 infrastructure is in place, hydrogen will become an available fuel for offshore and onshore use, and the Norwegian government plans that making hydrogen a commercially available fuel will pave the way for an emissions-free maritime industry. It is simply a question of embarking on the production of hydrogen.
The funding allocation was first announced almost a year ago. It will come from Enova SF, a special fund held by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment. Its objective is to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the development of energy and climate technologies and enhanced security of supply. Since the Topeka project exceeds the maximum aid allowed for a single project within the parameters of the fund, it had to be reviewed and approved by ESA.