Demand increased collaboration and political action

Commissioned by the industry clusters Ocean Hyway Cluster and GCE Blue Maritime; PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) has prepared a report that highlights what steps the industry and government need to take to realise hydrogen as a commercially sustainable energy carrier for the maritime industry.

The report was submitted to the Minister of Trade and Industry Torbjørn Røe Isaksen when he visited Ålesund Saturday 31 August

The following is to be read in the press release from the clusters:

Norway has a unique opportunity to take a world-leading position in the use of green hydrogen as fuel if we utilise the knowledge and experience in the maritime sector. But it will require political will to prioritise risk mitigation for green projects in the initial phase.

Best to Use Local Green Power

The supply of green energy from wind, solar or hydropower is one of our most important advantages and the report shows that locally produced hydrogen with electrolysis is probably the most likely and most sustainable. For hydrogen to become a real alternative to today's fossil fuels, a network of strategically important production sites and an infrastructure tailored to the needs of industry players must be developed. In our county there are several such locations, which gives us one advantage, but there is still work to be done before supply and demand here can meet in a profitable market.

Will Require Political Power

The national goal is to reduce CO2 emissions from domestic shipping by 50 per cent by 2040. If we are to achieve this ambitious goal, it will require a massive change in the energy mix and hydrogen can be an important part of the solution. Political authorities at national and regional level must use purchasing power in new tenders for public transport at sea, while at the same time establishing a regulatory framework that keeps up to pace with the developments.

– A successful realisation and implementation of the use of hydrogen in the maritime sector depends on a complementary collaboration between leading players and actors in the industry, says Stein Kvalsund of the Ocean Hyway Cluster.

No Green Solutions Without the Industrial Clusters

In Norway, we have succeeded with the cluster programme, which has become a model for innovation work and industry cooperation that is promoted nationally and internationally. One of the success criterias is that the clusters absorb both large and small companies throughout the value chain. Through cluster-to-cluster collaboration, the value chain meets across sectors and industries.

The clusters are close to the public funding schemes and can draw on the right resources at the right time. The clusters are thus in many ways the key to the green shift within transportation. Here lies the experience of building trust between actors and collaboration across industries. – We can make an exciting future for those who work with hydrogen solutions, but we cannot pretend that profitability comes by itself. It is a job to be done, together in the industry, within politics, in the government and within the clusters, says Per Erik Dalen of GCE Blue Maritime.

Download the report (only in Norwegian).

If you have questions about the above press release contact:

Stein Kvalsund
CEO Ocean Hyway Cluster
Phone: +47 97698785

Per Erik Dalen
CEO GCE Blue Maritime
Phone: +47 920 60 370