NORCE and TNO are entering into a strategic partnership on hydrogen developments

Strengthened collaboration for future energy programs

NORCE and TNO are already collaborating in publicly–privately funded research programs on the development of hydrogen value chains in a Norwegian program HyVALUE, coordinated by NORCE; the transition of the North Sea as a source of renewable energy for the future in a Dutch North Sea Energy program, coordinated by TNO and the development of a risk-based framework for assessing CO2 storage monitoring in a CETP project called RamonCO, coordinated by NORCE.

The announced collaboration will strengthen the relationship between the two research and technology organizations in energy-transition related programs supported by EU funding and industry involvement.

Strategic partnerships for innovation in CCS and hydrogen

Tirza van Daalen, director of the Geological Survey of the Netherlands, expresses the importance of collaboration on these developments: ‘NORCE and TNO have already collaborated on common challenges in energy transition of The Netherlands and Norway such as developing CCS technology and energy infrastructure development for many years. This strategic cooperation agreement will further strengthens the relationship.’

Kristin Margrethe Flornes, Executive Vice President of NORCE Energy & Technology, underlines the importance of collaboration in facing the challenges of the energy transition: ‘We face technical, practical, regulatory, and commercial challenges. Accelerating our transition and overcoming these challenges is only possible when we work together. The strong collaboration between NORCE and TNO within hydrogen and CCS is therefore important for achieving successful implementation of the green shift.’

Study on low-carbon hydrogen

Following the announcement of the strategic partnership, NORCE and TNO will start a collaborative study together with industrial partners Equinor, Gasunie and EBN on the development of a low carbon hydrogen (LCH) project in Eemshaven in the Northeast of the Netherlands enabled by Norwegian gas.

In the Netherlands the current conditions do not yet allow for a Final Investment Decision (FID) to be made. Considering this, TNO, NORCE, Equinor, Gasunie and EBN have agreed to collaborate study the requisite preconditions for the successful realization of such value chains. The objective of the study is to produce a report for the Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth.

Insights for policy formulation

This report will assist the Ministry in formulating its policy on low carbon hydrogen and will further provide the involved parties with the necessary insights to determine the next steps concerning the development of the planned LCH facility in Eemshaven.

The study will analyze critical elements of the hydrogen system that are essential for the establishment of a low carbon hydrogen value chain:

• Assess the potential demand for low carbon hydrogen that could be supplied from the production plant in Eemshaven.
• Examine the infrastructure requirements necessary for the plant’s operation.
• Analyze the regulatory framework applicable to hydrogen, with a specific focus on ensuring that regulations do not impede the development of low carbon hydrogen.
• Identify primary drivers of the business case and explore potential measures that could enhance the financial viability of the a LCH facility in Eemshaven.