With the intention of filling knowledge and technological gaps and realizing the full potential of hydrogen, two Norwegian research and innovation centers with a hydrogen emphasis have been formally established.
By developing strategies for using hydrogen in a new energy future, the Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research (FMEs), called HYDROGENi and HyValue, want to hasten the use of hydrogen.
HYDROGENi, which has a budget of about NOK 530m ($49.9m), will concentrate on both hydrogen and ammonia. The center will operate for eight years under the direction of the scientific organization SINTEF.
The HYDROGENi states that it aspires to lead the research and innovations required to eliminate knowledge and technical gaps in order to realize hydrogen’s full potential as well as strive to establish a sustainable hydrogen economy in Norway.
With ambitions to educate 35 PhD/postdoc students and more than 100 MSc/BSc candidates, HYDROGENi hopes to develop the largest academic research program in an FME.
The director of SINTEF’s HYDROGENi Centre, Nils Rkke, stated, “We want to be a part of the support system to make hydrogen happen. Hydrogen is a crucial component of the energy transition toward Net Zero and the 2030 goals, as we are all aware. Therefore, it’s crucial that we move forward with development quickly and implement new ideas in plans and the field.
The Research Council has awarded NOK 15 million ($1.4 million) each year for eight years to the HyValue FME, which is being directed by NORCE.
The HyValue center intends to create innovative processes for producing hydrogen and its carriers. It has stated that it will work on hydrogen transportation and how to run ships safely using hydrogen.
