(Helsinki / Finland) – A new center for the hydrogen economy is to be created under the name “BalticSeaH2”. The area between Finland and Estonia is “an optimal location for a cross-border market,” says the Finnish developer Flexens Oy AB, which is involved in the project. The necessary infrastructure, including natural gas pipelines and the electricity network, is already in place. The natural gas network operator Gasgrid Finland is also explicitly preparing a hydrogen infrastructure with the “Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor”, “Baltic Sea Hydrogen Collector” and “Nordic Hydrogen Route” projects.
The BalticSeaH2 project enables 25 demonstration and investment projects in various sectors of the hydrogen economy. The total investment volume is more than four billion euros. The production potential for hydrogen is expected to one day amount to 100.000 tons of hydrogen per year. Investments of 33 million euros are estimated for the first phase of the ramp-up, of which the EU is contributing 25 million euros.
Projects along the value chain
As part of the BalticSeaH2 project, Flexens is conducting a feasibility study on a hydrogen-powered ferry for 1.000 to 3.000 passengers. To this end, the company is investigating possible ferry routes in the Baltic Sea as well as the requirements for hydrogen supply.
The Swiss technology group ABB Asea Brown Boveri Ltd. In collaboration with partners, we develop megawatt-class fuel cell solutions that are intended to enable emission-free maritime transport. Another goal of ABB is to optimize the interaction between the different sectors of the hydrogen center using digital platforms.
The Finnish energy company Helen Oy intends to produce green hydrogen using a PEM electrolyzer. The first pilot system is scheduled to go into operation by 2024 and primarily serve heavy goods traffic. The hydrogen can also be delivered to industry in containers. With the pilot project, Helen wants to build up expertise for broad-based Power-to-X production.
BalticSeaH2 will start in June and will initially run for five years. The consortium includes 40 partners from nine countries in the Baltic Sea region: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The Finnish company CLIC Innovation Ltd acts as project coordinator.
Photos
The “BalticSeaH2” project also aims to use the wind resources in the Baltic Sea region to produce green hydrogen. © CLIC Innovation Ltd.
