Fuel of the future
Heavy-duty trucks will soon be driving around in Trondheim, Norway, fuelled by hydrogen created with solar power, and emitting only pure water vapour as “exhaust”. Not only will hydrogen technology revolutionize road transport, it will also enable ships and trains to run emissionfree.
Norway’s role as a pioneer in the field of hydrogen technology started more than a century ago at a waterfall. In the steep mountain valley of Rjukan, an engineer and a businessman recognised the potential of the Vemork hydroelectric power station as a way to ensure food production for an ever-growing population. Kristian Birkeland and Sam Eyde wanted to build a factory to manufacture Norwegian fertilisers under the brand name “Norsk Hydro”. An architecturally futuristic hydrogen factory was built next to the power station. After its completion in 1929, it became a tourist attraction between the steep mountains of Rjukan.
Since then, most Norwegian hydrogen research has been conducted in various laboratories at Gloshaugen in Trondheim. In 1951 the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), then known as the Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTH), established its own electrochemical engineering institute. This research community has played a key role in what has become a major Norwegian electrochemical industry. Today, behind closed doors at SINTEF, top secret technology is being developed – funded by a number of Norwegian and international industrial companies, including the suppliers of electrolysis technology for hydrogen production. Recently, NTNU and SINTEF won a contract with a manufacturer of fuel cell electric vehicles that run on hydrogen and emit only water vapour. Japan has already entered into an agreement with Australia to import of hydrogen from 2020.
“SINTEF has been involved both scientifically and politically, promoting Norway as a supplier of hydrogen to Japan based on our extensive energy resources,” says MollerHolst.
In fact, transport is not the only sector in which hydrogen will play a key role. Across the globe, countries deploying an increasing number of wind farms and photovoltaic power plants. However, it is not always possible to use all the wind power that is generated when it is windy, nor from the sun on a sunny day. This surplus electricity has to be stored, which makes producing hydrogen an attractive alternative.
“The German industrial giant Siemens has concluded that hydrogen is the best storage option for energy capacities greater than 10 GWh. More than 30% of the power generation in Germany is covered by wind and solar sources, and pilot testing of hydrogen as a storage medium is well underway,” says Moller-Holst. bln can be saved annually on the line from Steinkjer to Bodo (along Nordlandsbanen) if battery- or hydrogen-powered trains were used instead of traditional electrification.
“The report reached a consensus, based on individual experts’ statements obtained during the project, including those from the JBV’s own specialists and SINTEF’s interdisciplinary team,” says Moller-Holst, who led the study.
“Prior to 2020 biodiesel should replace fossil diesel fuel as an interim solution. Then, in the early 2020s, investments in battery-powered trains will be the most attractive option,” he said. “From the mid 2020s, hydrogen is the solution that best fulfils the various requirements that apply for freight trains on the future railroad network.”
Four regions in Germany are currently taking the lead internationally. They have commissioned 100 hydrogenpowered passenger trains. The first is already undergoing trials and the technology is expected to be ready for freight trains before 2025. Moller-Holst argues that Norway should follow the Germans in using hydrogen, and suggests starting with Raumabanen when it comes to passenger trains and Nordlandsbanen for freight trains.