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With Norway's huge natural gas resources, hydrogen production from natural gas with CO 2 capture and storage is now of high priority in Norway. In addition to its gas resources, Norway has access to huge areas suitable for CO 2 sequestration in the North Sea. Furthermore, the Norwegian company Hydro is one of world's leading producers of electrolysers, and Norway's knowledge in electrolysis technology has been built up during a number of years.
The Norwegian government has established a Hydrogen Commission, with representatives from industry, R&D, governmental institutions and NGOs. The Commission's objectives are to:
- define national targets to develop hydrogen as energy carrier
- identify means and instruments for added value and better environment
- identify necessary participation from government and framework conditions
- propose organization, responsibility and necessary funding for a national hydrogen program.
There is no specific hydrogen programme in Norway at present; however the R&D activities are organized within the major energy programme in the Research Council - RENERGI. The RENERGI programme period is from 2004 to 2013.
The funding for hydrogen related R&D projects in year 2003 was roughly 3 million € from the Research Council. Additional funding for demonstration projects by other governmental bodies, support from industry, and projects run by industry themselves, adds all together up to around 7 million €.
Demonstration activities have recently started, with some funding from the energy agency ENOVA. The major demonstration project in Norway – the Utsira project – is primarily financed by Hydro.
The portfolio of hydrogen projects is the following:
- 8 projects on hydrogen production
- 8 projects on hydrogen storage
- 2 projects on hydrogen combustion
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