Everfuel A/S and ASKO AS have signed a letter of intent (LoI) to collaborate on building a coordinated plan for applying to Enova for funding to support vehicle purchase and the installation of green hydrogen infrastructure in Norway in order to decarbonize heavy-duty long-haul trucking.
ASKO is Norway’s largest distributor of groceries and catering, with a nationwide network of central and regional warehouses and a sophisticated logistics system. ASKO is also a major national cargo carrier, with a fleet of over 700 large and medium-sized trucks, both owned and leased. The corporation has declared that it intends to achieve zero emissions by 2026. Everfuel is developing its manufacturing, distribution, and hydrogen fuelling station network throughout Europe.
“Our ambition is to develop a hydrogen refueling station network in Europe and Norway to decarbonize transport of goods and people on road, rail and by sea. Everfuel will develop the hydrogen supply and distribution to make this reliable and competitive. Strong partnerships with leading logistics companies such as ASKO is a key element of executing our strategy and ensuring coordinated progress towards a green transport system in Norway and across Europe,” says Jacob Krogsgaard, the CEO of Everfuel.
The Oslo-Trondheim route, with its necessity for hydrogen filling stations, is viewed as an ideal candidate for a full-scale roll-out of infrastructure enabling efficient zero-emission freight transit. ASKO has been testing hydrogen as a fuel in Trondheim since 2019 in collaboration with Scania and will use its knowledge to construct infrastructure for the Oslo-Trondheim corridor. Under the terms of the agreement, Everfuel and ASKO will mutually assist one another’s applications for public grants to fund truck acquisition and development of H2stations. This also involves the manufacture of hydrogen, if necessary, to meet demand along the designated transportation corridor.
“We introduced our zero-emission target from 2026 as early as in 2017. ASKO is deeply engaged in various climate measures and believe that this initiative may help accelerate the green transition,” says Svein Sollie, Head of Transport at ASKO.
“For ASKO to procure hydrogen trucks, we need them to be delivered to our specifications, that they meet can meet our operational requirements in our vehicle fleet ant to an acceptable cost. Then, hydrogen needs to be available in the sufficient volumes from enough filling stations with the right locations. This is demanding, not in least in relation to Enova, and it is one of the main reasons for our coordination with Everfuel,“ Sollie continues.
Everfuel will invite additional local and national transportation companies to participate in the planned infrastructure rollout to ensure a thorough examination of hydrogen as a heavy goods transport fuel.
Everfuel will also facilitate the refilling of light vehicles such as taxi fleets, freight vans, and service vehicles as part of this expansion. Both companies intend to submit to Enova for funding as soon as necessary conditions such as vehicle and site accessibility, as well as overall project economics, are met.
“We hope that the conditions in the application process are clarified during the second half in order for both trucks and filling stations to be operative in time for meeting the zero emission targets,” says Everfuel’s Jacob Krogsgaard.
