The Next Wave hydrogen project continues – Funding for Phase 2 granted

Mar12022

The Nordic Hydrogen Partnership (NHP) has been granted financing by Nordic Innovation – extending its heavy-duty hydrogen transport collaboration project in the Nordic countries.

From the beginning of 2022, Nordic Innovation has granted NHP and partners funding to continue and broaden their activities to push deployment of heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure through the Next Wave project (Next Nordic Green Transport Wave – Large Vehicles), as a part of the Nordic Smart Mobility and Connectivity program.

The Norwegian Hydrogen Forum, Hydrogen Sweden, Hydrogen Denmark (Brintbranchen), Icelandic New Energy, VTT Tech. Research Finland, and Kunnskapsbyen Centre of Innovation, will be partnering up with Everfuel in this second phase of the project.

“We are very excited to have Everfuel join us in the coming phase of Next Wave. The project will now be able to give a special contribution to the hydrogen infrastructure for larger vehicles, by facilitating the development of a mobile hydrogen refuelling station (HRS),” says Next Wave’s project manager, Ingebjørg Telnes Wilhelmsen, CEO at the Norwegian Hydrogen Forum – Norsk Hydrogenforum

Insight gained on the Nordic heavy-duty hydrogen value chain

During Phase 1 of the project, the heavy-duty hydrogen vehicle value chain from a Nordic perspective was emphasized resulting in publicly available reports and an at-hand key hydrogen insight toolbox intended for politicians, public authorities, leaders, and hydrogen stakeholders.

As a result, we have gained an updated insight on the Nordic hydrogen activities and development, revealed hydrogen transport issues due to the ununiform national regulations, and prepared the ground for an enlightened roll-out of heavy-duty vehicles while at the same time revealing the need for further education / influencing of the Nordic premise setters – which will be addressed in Phase 2 of the project.

Low-cost testing of hydrogen vehicles

Everfuel will join the project partnership and take the lead in developing a mobile hydrogen refuelling station (HRS). The company will design a mobile HRS that will increase the hydrogen availability which gives potential customers the opportunity to test green hydrogen as an alternative fuel before making heavier investment decisions.

The mobile HRS enables the expansion of a hydrogen infrastructure while at the same time minimizing customers’ and end-users’ costs for a temporary or permanent hydrogen refuelling station.

As the HRS can be moved and relocated as required, the station can initially be used as a test station and serve as initial infrastructure for first-time green hydrogen users. Later, when a customer decides to invest in a fixed station, the mobile HRS can be easily relocated or used as backup to safeguard hydrogen availability on-site or in the area.

“Being able to offer a more flexible hydrogen solution is something we truly look forward to. We believe that it will lower the barrier for some customers when transitioning to hydrogen, and it allows for a hydrogen solution in places where a station is not the optimal solution. We are proud to be a part of Next Wave II which enables us to take yet another step towards a decarbonized Nordic Region,” says Jacob Krogsgaard, CEO of Everfuel A/S.

EU incentives accelerate development

The deployment of FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicles) heavy trucks is expected to accelerate rapidly aided by EU incentive programs, regulatory changes, and increasing CO2 tariffs. In the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), that will be decided during 2022, it’s required from the EU-member states to build a hydrogen infrastructure for trucks and other vehicles.

The Next Wave partnership will work closely with truck manufacturers, hydrogen infrastructure providers, truck owners, and related projects, to track and update the development and deployment of heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles in Europe focusing on trucks, buses, and heavy machinery.

In the coming years, it is expected that the deployment of trucks will increase in line with the hydrogen infrastructure expansion in the Nordic Region. The project partnership aims to produce facts and insights that will facilitate deliveries of such vehicles to the Nordic countries and to support the cross-border infrastructure plans.

Addresses pressing challenges

Nordic Innovation believes that Next Wave II has the potential to contribute to transforming mobility through further developing a solid Nordic hydrogen ecosystem.

“During the first phase of the project the Nordic partners have built a strong knowledge base and developed a joint understanding. We want to see Next Wave II succeed and have therefore decided to continue our support of the project,” says Nina Egeli, Senior Innovation Adviser and Head of Nordic Green Mobility at Nordic Innovation.

By involving industry players in developing and implementing innovative solutions and business models, the new project aims at realising ambitions that are highly relevant to the overall Nordic vision of becoming the worlds’s most integrated and sustainable region by 2030.

“The Next Wave project addresses some of today’s most pressing challenges in the mobility field – how to decarbonise heavy duty vehicles and thus contribute to overall sustainability goals, while at the same time creating new opportunities for Nordic businesses,” says Nina Egeli.

Project contacts:

Norsk Hydrogenforum, Ingebjørg Telnes Wilhelmsen, itw@hydrogen.no, hydrogen.no

Kunnskapsbyen Centre of Innovation, Jon Eriksen, jon@kunnskapsbyen.no, kunnskapsbyen.no

Hydrogen Sweden, Björn Aronsson, bjorn.aronsson@vatgas.se, vatgas.se

Icelandic New Energy, Jón Björn Skúlason, skulason@newenergy.is, newenergy.is

VTT Tech. Research Finland, Jari Ihonen, jari.ihonen@vtt.fi, www.vttresearch.com

Brintbranchen/Hydrogen Denmark, Tejs Laustsen Jensen, tlj@brintbranchen.dk, brintbranchen.dk

Everfuel A/S, Lea Vindvad Hansen, lvh@everfuel.com, www.everfuel.com

Nordic Innovation, Nina Egeli, n.egeli@nordicinnovation.org, www.nordicinnovation.org

Nordic Innovation is an organization under the Nordic Council of Ministers that works to promote sustainable growth, entrepreneurship, innovation, and competitiveness in Nordic business. The Nordic Council of Ministers is the official intergovernmental body for cooperation in the Nordic region. The regional cooperation includes 26 million inhabitants in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, as well as the autonomous areas of Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Åland.

The goal of NHP’s business venture Next Wave – assisted by Kunnskapsbyen Centre of Innovation and Everfuel A/S – is to stimulate the globally leading hydrogen technology companies in the Nordic region to establish the world’s first expansion of hydrogen infrastructure for larger vehicles, in order to accelerate a greater roll-out of hydrogen trucks and buses. For more information about the project and Phase I results, please consult www.nordichydrogenpartnership.com/nextwave/.

Feb282022

Nordic Hydrogen Partnership (NHP) har fået bevilget finansiering af Nordic Innovation og udvider dermed deres tunge brinttransportsamarbejdsprojekt i de nordiske lande.

Fra begyndelsen af 2022 har Nordic Innovation bevilget NHP og partnere midler til at fortsætte og udvide deres aktiviteter for at øge anvendelsen af tunge brintkøretøjer og infrastruktur gennem Next Wave-projektet (Next Nordic Green Transport Wave – Large Vehicles) som en del af Nordic Smart Mobility and Connectivity-programmet.

Norwegian Hydrogen Forum, Hydrogen Sweden, Hydrogen Denmark (Brintbranchen), Icelandic New Energy, VTT Tech. Research Finland og Kunnskapsbyen Center of Innovation vil indgå i partnerskab med Everfuel i denne anden fase af projektet.

“Vi er meget glade for at få Everfuel med os i den kommende fase af Next Wave. Projektet vil nu kunne give et særligt bidrag til brintinfrastrukturen for større køretøjer ved at facilitere udviklingen af en mobil brinttankstation (HRS),” siger Next Waves projektleder, Ingebjørg Telnes Wilhelmsen, CEO ved Norwegian Hydrogen Forum – Norsk Hydrogenforum

Indsigt opnået i den nordiske tunge brintværdikæde

Under fase 1 af projektet blev værdikæden for tunge brintkøretøjer fra et nordisk perspektiv fremhævet, hvilket resulterede i offentligt tilgængelige rapporter og en tilgængelig nøgleværktøjskasse til brintindsigt beregnet til politikere, offentlige myndigheder, ledere og brintinteressenter.

Som et resultat heraf har vi fået et opdateret indblik i de nordiske brintaktiviteter og udvikling, afsløret brinttransportproblemer på grund af de uensartede nationale regler og forberedt grundlaget for en oplyst udrulning af tunge køretøjer og samtidig afsløret behovet for videreuddannelse/påvirkning af de nordiske præmisssættere – hvilket vil blive behandlet i projektets fase 2.

Lavpristest af brintbiler

Everfuel vil slutte sig til projektpartnerskabet og tage føringen i udviklingen af en mobil brinttankstation (HRS). Virksomheden vil designe en mobil HRS, der vil øge tilgængeligheden af brint, hvilket giver potentielle kunder mulighed for at teste grøn brint som et alternativt brændstof, før de træffer tungere investeringsbeslutninger.

Den mobile HRS muliggør udvidelsen af en brintinfrastruktur, samtidig med at kundernes og slutbrugernes omkostninger til en midlertidig eller permanent brinttankstation minimeres.

Da HRS’en kan flyttes efter behov, kan stationen i første omgang bruges som teststation og tjene som indledende infrastruktur for førstegangsbrugere af grøn brint. Senere, når en kunde beslutter sig for at investere i en fast station, kan den mobile HRS let flyttes eller bruges som backup for at sikre brint tilgængelighed på stedet eller i området.

“At kunne tilbyde en mere fleksibel brintløsning er noget, vi virkelig ser frem til. Vi tror på, at det vil sænke barrieren for nogle kunder ved overgang til brint, og det giver mulighed for en brintløsning de steder, hvor en station ikke er den optimale. Vi er stolte af at være en del af Next Wave II, som gør os i stand til at tage endnu et skridt mod et dekarboniseret Norden,” siger Jacob Krogsgaard, administrerende direktør i Everfuel A/S.

EU-incitamenter fremskynder udviklingen

Udbredelsen af FCEV (brændselscelle-elkøretøjer) tunge lastbiler forventes at accelerere hurtigt hjulpet på vej af EU’s incitamentsprogrammer, reguleringsændringer og stigende CO2-tariffer. I den alternative brændstofinfrastrukturforordning (AFIR), der vil blive vedtaget i løbet af 2022, er det påkrævet af EU-medlemsstaterne at bygge en brintinfrastruktur til lastbiler og andre køretøjer.

Next Wave-partnerskabet vil arbejde tæt sammen med lastbilproducenter, brintinfrastrukturudbydere, lastbilejere og relaterede projekter for at spore og opdatere udviklingen og implementeringen af tunge brintkøretøjer i Europa med fokus på lastbiler, busser og tungt maskineri.

I de kommende år forventes det, at indsættelsen af lastbiler vil stige i takt med udbygningen af brintinfrastrukturen i Norden. Projektpartnerskabet har til formål at producere fakta og indsigt, der vil lette leveringer af sådanne køretøjer til de nordiske lande og at understøtte de grænseoverskridende infrastrukturplaner.

Løser presserende udfordringer

Nordic Innovation mener, at Next Wave II har potentialet til at bidrage til at transformere mobilitet gennem videreudvikling af et solidt nordisk brintøkosystem.

“I løbet af projektets første fase har de nordiske partnere opbygget en stærk videnbase og udviklet en fælles forståelse. Vi ønsker at se Next Wave II lykkes og har derfor besluttet at fortsætte vores støtte til projektet,” siger Nina Egeli, Senior Innovation Rådgiver og leder i Nordic Green Mobility hos Nordic Innovation.

Ved at involvere industriens aktører i at udvikle og implementere innovative løsninger og forretningsmodeller, sigter det nye projekt efter at realisere ambitioner, der er yderst relevante for den overordnede nordiske vision om at blive verdens mest integrerede og bæredygtige region i 2030.

“Next Wave-projektet adresserer nogle af nutidens mest presserende udfordringer på mobilitetsområdet – hvordan man dekarboniserer tunge køretøjer og dermed bidrager til overordnede bæredygtighedsmål, samtidig med at de skaber nye muligheder for nordiske virksomheder,” siger Nina Egeli.

Projektkontakter: