Enova has given USDM 25 (NOK 219 million) to Topeka, a zero-emission shipping firm that is part of the Wilhelmsen group, to build two zero-emission hydrogen-powered vessels.
The EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) authorized the award this week, indicating that all relevant funding clearances have been obtained. What remains is for hydrogen production to commence.
“With ESA’s approval, our hydrogen powered zero-emission vessels are one step closer to reality. Now we are awaiting hydrogen to become available vessel fuel. We are excited for our Norwegian government and its ambition of investing in green infrastructure, focusing on hydrogen production, logistic hubs and supply chains to pave the way for commercial use of hydrogen.”, says Topeka CEO Steinar Madsen.
He feels that Norway’s recently released national budget demonstrates encouraging trends, particularly given the emphasis on Contracts for Difference to mitigate risk in green projects with currently low return on investment. The majority of Norway’s political parties have emphasized the importance of securing reliable and effective methods that can mitigate risk at the early stages of green projects – a critical prerequisite for success on projects such as Topeka.
The vessels, dubbed “Topeka: base to base,” will be the first of their kind when they start commercial operation in 2024. Both vessels will be similar and will be powered entirely by liquid hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cells, resulting in zero emissions. The two vessels will operate on a fixed schedule along Norway’s western coast, transporting zero-emission customer goods between Stavanger, Haugesund, Bergen, and Kristiansund, as well as containerized liquid hydrogen (LH2) to bunkering hubs along the same route. Norway’s west coast is lined with bases serving the offshore oil and gas industry, and base-to-base transfer is an ideal heavy-duty transport route for LH2. In the future, the bunkering hubs will fuel LH2-powered vessels like as ferries and seagoing tonnage.
“Hydrogen as a fuel enables opportunities for zero-emission shipping. The base-to-base project will secure seaborn and emission-free hydrogen distribution and is our first step towards scalable zero-emission maritime operations. Together with Aurora, the liquid hydrogen factory at Mongstad in Norway, we will create a full LH2 infrastructure and commercial ecosystem, while at the same time removing yearly some 25 000 trucks from the roads”, says Steinar Madsen.
Once the LH2 infrastructure is in place, hydrogen will become a commercially available fuel for offshore and onshore applications, and the Norwegian government anticipates that this will pave the way for an emission-free maritime sector. It is only a matter of initiating hydrogen synthesis.
