Estonian companies plan to develop green hydrogen value chain

A group of Estonian companies are teaming up to develop a green hydrogen value chain in the coming years and plan to start with a 48-MW electrolyser.

The companies, members of the Hydrogen Producers and Consumers Association, signed a memorandum of cooperation on Tuesday, according to a press release today. They include OU Green Technologies Development, which is spearheading the value chain concept, H2Electro OU, which is working on hydrogen production, Paldiski Sadamate AS, which is looking to introduce hydrogen ferries and AS Tallinna Linnatransport, a public transport company owned by the City of Tallinn, which wants to switch to hydrogen buses. A fuel company developing hydrogen refuelling infrastructure also intends to join the association.

The project is estimated to be worth EUR 380 million (USD 446m), with an application for partial funding submitted to the European Innovation Fund.

H2Electro, a subsidiary of Thule Capital AS, will lead the initial efforts to establish on-site green hydrogen production. The company wants to build an innovative electrolyser pilot device developed in Estonia, for which purpose it recently signed a research and development agreement with the University of Tartu, explained Henrik Hal, member of H2Electro’s management board.

The planned electrolyser will have a capacity of 48 MW and will be capable of producing up to 9,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year. The capacity could potentially be increased by two subsequent stages of 24 MW each.

The hydrogen will be used to fuel buses of Tallinna Linnatransport expected to be acquired by 2024 and for retail sales through the filling station network. It will also power a train ferry operating from Paldiski North Harbour, starting in the second half of 2024.

(EUR 1 = USD 1.174)

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