Norway gives hydrogen central role in green transition

The government of Norway recently presented a NOK-3.6-billion (USD 384m/EUR 341m) green transition package to support various solutions, including hydrogen and offshore wind.

The biggest portion of the package -- NOK 2 billion -- will be provided to government enterprise Enova SF, which last August committed to provide about NOK 2.33 billion in support for Equinor ASA’s (NYSE:EQNR) plan to build the 88-MW Hywind Tampen floating wind farm in the North Sea. Enova will use the expanded budget to support technology development in a number of industries, including renewable energy.

About NOK 1 billion will go towards the creation of a green research platform in the period 2020-2022, to be administered by the Research Council of Norway, Innovation Norway and state enterprise Siva.

Some NOK 120 million will be allocated to the ENERGIX programme in the Research Council where hydrogen-related technologists will play a central role, according to the announcement. Last week, the government also released a hydrogen strategy, which envisages an increase in the number of pilot and demonstration projects in Norway.

Separately, offshore wind will benefit from NOK 10 million in financing as that sum will be spent on the development of supply chains and delivery models.

The rest of the funds will support areas such as green shipping and the green restructuring of municipalities, as well as research on greenhouse gas emissions reductions and on circular economy.

(NOK 1.0 = USD 1.067/EUR 0.948)

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