Cluster Catch-Up: Hafslund Eco

Mar 17

“In order to reach a future that is fully renewable, with zero emissions, we believe that we need an efficient global market for hydrogen. Not just to decarbonize the “hard-to-electrify” sectors, but also to ensure access to renewable power everywhere. ”

— Kristin Arnesen, Hafslund Eco

In the last Cluster Catch-Up, Norwegian Hydrogen talked about how they work and why green hydrogen is an opportunity for export opportunities for Norwegian companies. This time we talked with Hafslund Eco.

Kristin Arnesen, business developer at Hafslund Eco.

Hafslund Eco is Norway’s second largest power generator. They operate only with renewable energy and are working with new business development that will accelerate the electrification of Norway. Kristin Arnesen works as a business developer at Hafslund Eco, and is project manager for all ongoing hydrogen initiatives. Hafslund Eco is also contributing to scoping out opportunities for hydrogen production in Flåm through “Destinasjon Grønt Vestland”.

What is Hafslund Eco’s primary focus right now?

Hafslund Eco’s mission is to create long-term values through renewable energy, secure power supply and the development of a smart and fully electrified zero-emission society. We do so by managing our hydro power resources in a responsible and efficient way, while we are continuously searching for new opportunities to fulfil our vision “For a renewable and fully electric future”.
Contributing to building a market for green hydrogen from renewable power sources in Norway is high on our agenda at the moment. Our primary focus right now when it comes to hydrogen is to develop opportunities that have a good strategic fit for us, and to find robust partners and offtakers. We are a solid company with a proven industrial experience that can provide key competence in building new green industries.

What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for Hafslund Eco in the future?

First and foremost, a big challenge is the current and expected future strained energy situation in Europe, and how we as a hydro power producer will be affected by, and how we can affect the consequences. On the other hand, increasing demand for renewable energy and innovative solutions constitutes a lot of exciting opportunities for us, given our position as an established and professional industry player.
We do find that one of the main challenges when exploring new business opportunities, and within hydrogen in particular, is finding the optimal timing and location for realising successful projects. Another challenge that we discuss a lot related to hydrogen is the increase in electricity prices, as this is the main cost driver for green hydrogen. Although this specific situation is expected to be somewhat temporary, it is likely that we will experience similar situations in the future. As a power producer we do have access to experienced market and optimization expertise, as well as mechanisms for providing more certainty in future energy costs.

How can hydrogen be a part of the solution for the future?

In order to reach a future that is fully renewable, with zero emissions, we believe that we need an efficient global market for hydrogen. Not just to decarbonize the “hard-to-electrify” sectors, but also to ensure access to renewable power at all times and all places. There are of course a lot of challenges regarding efficiency and safety when it comes to hydrogen as an energy carrier, but there are a lot of extremely competent companies and individuals who are working on finding secure and cost-efficient solutions.

What is your primary focus when it comes to sustainability?

Sustainability is at the core of everything that we do at Hafslund Eco, and our main focus is to figure out how we can use our strengths and position to develop new business opportunities that are contributing to green value creation – both locally and nationally.

Why did you decide on becoming a member of Ocean Hyway Cluster?

Like I said earlier, contributing to building a market for green hydrogen from renewable power sources in Norway is high on our agenda, and the maritime sector is by many believed to be the first and the most versatile group of offtakers for hydrogen as an energy carrier. We thought that a membership in Ocean Hyway Cluster would provide us access to the most relevant players and market insight, and that we would be able to provide some value through our membership as well. It is safe to say that we are very happy to be a member, and that we are excited to contribute with our local knowledge and expertise in “Destinasjon Grønt Vestland”