A powerful partnership including Statkraft, Statoil and DNV is planning to establish a hydrogen research and demonstration centre at Tyholt in Trondheim, Norway. The centre will be called HYTREC (HYdrogen Technology REsearch Centre). Through HYTREC, the partners will develop environmentally friendly, profitable and safe ways of producing hydrogen.
The partners aim to develop environmentally friendly, profitable and safe solutions for producing hydrogen for use in vehicle fuel and in combined heating and power plants. These plans have a cost framework of NOK 55 million. The goal is for the centre to be completed in early 2007.
The research centre will provide an important contribution to Norway’s commitment to preparing for a future hydrogen market.
Both research and use
The plans are to establish a centre where research into the production and use of hydrogen can be combined. The centre will embrace research facilities, a visitors’ centre and practical demonstrations of the use of hydrogen in the transport sector and for generating electricity and heat. The centre is being located in Trondheim due to this city’s proximity to Norway’s most advanced technological research and educational environment. In addition, all the companies have offices and/or research centres in Trondheim. The centre will be called HYTREC (HYdrogen Technology REsearch Centre). The goal is for the centre to be completed in early 2007 provided all the formal decisions fall into place. The current plans have a total cost framework of NOK 55 million.
Zero emissions
Hydrogen produced using environmentally friendly energy is expected to play a major role as an energy carrier in the future. As a fuel, hydrogen has no local emissions other than water, and hydrogen can be used for vehicle fuel and in combined electricity and heating solutions. Hydrogen can be produced by chemically converting natural gas or from water with the aid of electricity. If hydrogen is produced from natural gas with carbon dioxide capture and storage and the electricity is generated using renewable energy sources, hydrogen as an energy carrier will produce zero emissions of climate gases and other environmentally harmful gases.
Strong combination of expertise
The three partners’ combined expertise is expected to provide synergies for developing new, innovative technology in the hydrogen field. The companies will contribute their leading-edge expertise to the project. Statkraft will develop solutions to allow cost-effective hydrogen production from renewable energy sources. Statoil will develop new technology for producing hydrogen from natural gas in combination with carbon dioxide capture and storage. DNV will develop and qualify safe, reliable technology as well as advisory, qualification and certification services based on the activities at the technology centre.
For additional information, please contact:
Statkraft: Torbjørn Steen, tel: +47 24 06 72 28 / +47 911 66 888
Statoil: Mari Dotterud, tel: +47 73 58 40 11 / +47 906 03 214
DNV: Harald Bråthen, tel: +47 67 57 93 35 / +47 911 03 688