Bankgården was packed as NORHyWAY, RENERGY / Fremtidens Industri, GreenH, Vireon and Siemens brought together politicians, industry and researchers to discuss what it will take for Norway to seize the opportunities as the EU invests heavily in Norwegian hydrogen.
NORHyWAY, Norway's first Large-Scale Hydrogen Valley, has received EUR 21 million in EU funding for 16 industry partners building hydrogen solutions from the Oslo Fjord to Hammerfest. GreenH, a NORHyWAY partner, has also been awarded funding through the EU's hydrogen auction.
At Arendalsuka – Norway's largest annual political festival, where politicians, industry and civil society gather for a week of public debate – we posed the question: "Europe is putting significant support behind hydrogen deployment in Norway – are Norwegian policymakers seizing the opportunity?"
Panel debate at Arendalsuka. From left: Tom Oddgeir Johnsen/Norwegian Shipowners' Association, Morten Solberg Watle/GreenH, Per Øivind Voie/Vireon, Elias Eide/Høyre, Astrid Willa Eide Hoem/Labour Party, and Nils Klippenberg/Siemens.
The programme opened with an introduction by Ida Kallmyr Lerheim and Mona Iren Pettersen, project managers at NORHyWAY, who presented the project and placed it in the context of the EU's hydrogen ambitions. This was followed by presentations from Nils Klippenberg, CEO of Siemens, Morten Solberg Watle, CEO of GreenH, and Guro Henriksen, Partner at Oslo Economics, before representatives from politics and industry joined a panel debate moderated by Klippenberg.
Market development, technology neutrality, public procurement, risk, European regulation and international competitive conditions were among the topics raised throughout the presentations and the debate.
Ida Kallmyr Lerheim, Project Manager at NORHyWAY. Senior EU Business Developer at RENERGY/Fremtidens Industri.
The Market Must Be Built and Matured
In his presentation, Morten Solberg Watle pointed to market building and maturation as one of the most important priorities for hydrogen right now.
He stressed the need to look beyond technologies that are already market-ready. To meet climate targets, investment is also needed in technologies that could play an important role a decade from now.
Watle noted that a great deal of positive progress has already been made in hydrogen development, and that this is important to keep in mind when discussing what needs to happen next.
Morten Solberg Watle, CEO of GreenH.
When Is Technology Neutrality the Right Approach?
Technology neutrality was a central theme of the event.
In her presentation, Guro Henriksen of Oslo Economics pointed out that technology neutrality is often a sound principle. At the same time, it can get in the way when a new market needs to be established and a value chain needs to function together. In such situations, policymakers must be willing to prioritise.
Henriksen also highlighted public procurement as an effective tool when new solutions and markets need to be developed.
Nils Klippenberg, CEO of Siemens and moderator of the panel debate, also raised the question of technology neutrality during the event. He challenged whether technology neutrality can make it too easy to avoid concrete prioritisation, and called for clearer commitments.
Nils Klippenberg, CEO of Siemens.
Guro Henriksen, Partner at Oslo Economics.
Who Should Bear the Risk?
The panel debate also addressed the risk involved in adopting new solutions.
Elias Eide of Høyre pointed to fast passenger ferries as a concrete example. He noted that it is challenging for county authorities to bear the risk associated with new solutions when they lack the financial capacity to carry that risk.
This raised a central question in the discussion on developing new markets: who should bear the risk when new technology is introduced before the market has fully matured?
Norway Must Follow the EU's Lead
In the panel debate, Per Øyvind Voie, CEO of Vireon, emphasised the importance of Norwegian follow-through on developments in the EU.
He called for Norway to implement and follow up on the EU's renewable energy directives.
The EU has already shown strong willingness to invest in hydrogen. For Norwegian actors, the key question is therefore how this development is followed up nationally.
A Level Playing Field with the Rest of the World
Tom Oddgeir Johnsen of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association raised the international competitive perspective in the panel debate.
He stressed the importance of Norwegian actors competing under the same rules as the rest of the world.
For a maritime industry that competes internationally, this is an important perspective when new climate and energy solutions are being adopted.
From EU Funding to a Functioning Market
The presentations and panel debate illustrated the breadth of issues that must be addressed if hydrogen is to continue developing in Norway.
How do we build and mature the market? When is technology neutrality the right approach, and when is clearer prioritisation needed? How can public procurement be used? Who should bear the risk of introducing new solutions? And how does Norway keep pace with developments in the EU while Norwegian actors compete internationally?
These are questions that will remain central to the further work of NORHyWAY.
The EU has already chosen to invest significantly in Norwegian hydrogen development.
Now it is a matter of how Norway follows up.
Programme and Participants
The event "Europe Is Putting Significant Support Behind Hydrogen Deployment in Norway – Are Norwegian Policymakers Seizing the Opportunity?" was organised by NORHyWAY, RENERGY / Fremtidens Industri, GreenH, Vireon and Siemens.
Introduction
Ida Kallmyr Lerheim and Mona Iren Pettersen, Project Managers at NORHyWAY, on NORHyWAY and the EU's hydrogen ambitions.
Presentations
Nils Klippenberg, CEO, Siemens
Morten Solberg Watle, CEO, GreenH
Guro Henriksen, Partner, Oslo Economics
Panel Debate
Nils Klippenberg, CEO, Siemens, moderator
Astrid Willa Hoem, State Secretary (Labour Party), Ministry of Climate and Environment
Elias Eide, Høyre
Per Øyvind Voie, CEO, Vireon
Morten Solberg Watle, CEO, GreenH
Tom Oddgeir Johnsen, Norwegian Shipowners' Association