Aiming for an emission-free coast with hydrogen

ZeroKyst is backed by an industry consortium comprising twelve industry and research partners from across Norway. Selfa Arctic leads the project, which is organised through the renewable energy cluster RENERGY - Renewable Energy Cluster.

The consortium will develop and build a zero-emission pilot vessel for the seafood industry, along with a hydrogen-electric propulsion system. It will establish shore power and hydrogen infrastructure in Lofoten, as well as a pilot plant for green hydrogen production on Karlsøya, outside Tromsø. The consortium will also develop the energy services needed by the fisheries and aquaculture industry.

'Within the next few years, we will make hydrogen a viable maritime fuel, and ZeroKyst is just the beginning. Our goal is to reduce fossil fuel consumption and halve emissions from fisheries and aquaculture by 2030,' says Thomas Bjørdal, Project Manager at RENERGY.

We and the grants provided through Green Platform have played an important role in the project.

'Competition for the NOK 1 billion in Green Platform funding has been fierce, and we are pleased that ZeroKyst secured support for its project. Collaboration is the way forward to achieve the green transition. Hydrogen is an important energy carrier for reducing emissions, and Norway and Trøndelag have an opportunity to establish an international position in this field,' says Vigdis Harsvik, Executive Vice President (EVP) for Regional and Business Development at Innovation Norway.

'We are grateful that Innovation Norway has challenged and supported us in a constructive and proactive way. This was instrumental in bringing the consortium together in record time. Innovation Norway is quite simply an understanding yet demanding funding partner,' says Bjørdal.

A new consortium spanning the entire green hydrogen value chain offers clear benefits. This powerful collaboration creates business opportunities and a competitive edge for Norwegian industry.

'Without an established market, it is difficult to commit. High risk and substantial investment mean that individual companies are neither able nor willing to take the leap. To increase industrial capacity, we need to build strong consortia that reduce and share risk and costs across the entire value chain,' Bjørdal emphasises.

Norway aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 2030 and become a zero-emission country by 2050. We need to develop new value chains and infrastructure for supplying emission-free energy at record speed.

‘If we are to succeed in making the coast emission-free, we need to act where seafood is harvested and produced. That is why we have built a strong consortium representing the entire value chain – from electricity supply and hydrogen production to fishing boats. Together, we will develop integrated, flexible solutions that are both sustainable and profitable for everyone involved,’ says Bjørdal.

The 'construction team' includes internationally recognised technology and research organisations such as Siemens Energy, Plug, SINTEF and NTNU. H2 Marine is responsible for the project's largest work package and will develop the world's first solutions for the flexible production and bunkering of green hydrogen for fishing vessels.