Norwegian Hydrogen announces Hellesylt GH2 plant will begin commercial production 'within weeks'

Norwegian Hydrogen announced its Hellesylt site in Norway has successfully produced the first grams of green hydrogen molecules, and the project has now entered its final commissioning and test phase.

The project, developed, built, and operated by Norwegian Hydrogen, should begin full commercial operation within a few weeks, the company said in a release. The coming weeks will see "rigorous testing and optimization" to ensure a smooth transition into full production, with output from the Hellesylt Hydrogen Hub gradually rising to the full capacity of 1.3 tonnes per day.

The plant uses renewable power sourced from hydropower stations located in the area to generate green hydrogen, and the first deliveries from the facility will be made to Veidekke, Cyan Energy, Skulebas and Vireon.

The hub will also open a high-capacity hydrogen refueling station -- the first in the region -- through its sister concern Vireon, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Norwegian Hydrogen that serves the heavy-duty mobility segment.

In its release, Norwegian Hydrogen said the facility was also dedicated to enabling zero emissions in the Geiranger World Heritage Fjord. The company has signed an agreement with Provaris Energy to jointly identify and develop new green hydrogen sites in the Nordic region which will allow for large-scale production and export of green hydrogen to European nations.

Provaris' H2Neo carriers will be used to transport the hydrogen, while the H2Leo barge will serve for storage, the companies had said.