Norway's first Large Scale Hydrogen Valley awarded 240 million NOK from the EU
NORHyWAY has been awarded 240 million NOK in funding from the EU's innovation programme Horizon Europe and is now being established as Norway's first Large Scale Hydrogen Valley. The project was ranked among the top three of 35 applications in Europe, making it the eighth Large Scale Hydrogen Valley since the programme began in 2019.
The initiative could unlock investments of more than 11.4 billion NOK and marks a clear shift from pilot projects to industrial-scale implementation in Norwegian hydrogen development.
Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Minister of Climate and Environment. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
Unlocks the next phase of the energy transition
"I believe this project, in many ways, is what has been missing to unlock the potential that exists in the next phase of the energy transition we are entering."
That was how Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen put it during the launch in Trondheim. He pointed out that hydrogen is now moving from discussion to practical application.
"Hydrogen is moving from being something people debate the merits of, to something industry is actively using and depends on — both to meet climate commitments and to develop jobs and industrial growth.»
Thomas Bjørdal and Ida Kallmyr Lerheim, RENERGY/Fremtidens Industri. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
Bringing together the entire value chain
The news of the EU award was presented by Ida Kallmyr Lerheim, project manager for NORHyWAY at RENERGY. Together with Thomas Bjørdal, head of RENERGY, she highlighted how the initiative builds on years of systematic cluster work and collaboration across the value chain.
"This is a breakthrough for Norwegian hydrogen development, and a clear recognition of Norway's ability to lead in the energy transformation. With NORHyWAY, we will show Europe how we scale zero-emission solutions from piloting to a functioning market," said Bjørdal.
Behind the initiative are RENERGY and SINTEF/HYDROGENi, working together with 16 industrial partners across energy, maritime, transport, logistics and technology development. The project is coordinated by Fremtidens Industri AS.
CEO of Siemens Norway, Nils Klippenberg; Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen (Labour Party); County Mayor Tomas Iver Hallem (Centre Party). Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
A European breakthrough for Norwegian cluster development
Håkon Haugli, CEO of Innovation Norway, highlighted the significance of the achievement:
"We are deeply impressed that an industry cluster in the national cluster programme Norwegian Innovation Clusters has organised an EU project of such great importance for business and jobs in Central Norway. This is an important recognition of RENERGY — and of Norway as an energy nation. It also shows that Norwegian industry has what it takes to compete at a European level, and that building strong innovation ecosystems pays off over time."
From pilot to industrial scale
NORHyWAY spans from Slagentangen to Hammerfest, bringing together production, infrastructure and market in one coordinated hydrogen value chain, anchored in Central Norway. Illustration: RENERGY
NORHyWAY will demonstrate how a complete hydrogen value chain can be realised at industrial scale — from production and storage to distribution and use in the maritime sector, heavy transport and industry.
The ambition is to build capacity for 37,081 tonnes of hydrogen per year by 2035. This could deliver an annual CO₂ reduction of up to 345,000 tonnes.
The project stretches from Slagentangen in the south to Hammerfest in the north, linking together some of Norway's most important hydrogen initiatives. Among the measures are the establishment of H₂ Hub Kristiansund and H₂ Hub Slagentangen, new production facilities including one in Hammerfest, further development of the Bodø facility, transport corridors for hydrogen-based heavy transport, and solutions for using hydrogen as flexibility in the power system.
Unlocking capital and competitiveness
Nils Røkke, SINTEF. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
The academic foundation in FME HYDROGENi at SINTEF plays a central role in the project. Nils Røkke pointed to the importance of linking research and implementation in order to shorten the path from technology to market.
Strategy Director Cristian Valdes Carter of Innovation Norway emphasised the importance of strong innovation ecosystems and coordinated use of policy instruments, underlining how public funding can unlock significant private capital and lay the groundwork for international growth.
Cristian Valdes Carter, Innovation Norway. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
Hydrogen in the power system
Nils Klippenberg, Siemens Norway. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
NORHyWAY is not just about fuel — it's also about the energy system.
Nils Klippenberg, CEO of Siemens Norway, pointed out that electrification alone will not be enough to reach climate targets. As wind and solar power make up a growing share of the mix, the power system is becoming more dynamic, increasing the need for flexibility. Hydrogen can play an important role both in reducing emissions in industry and heavy transport, and in managing surplus power and grid bottlenecks.
Siemens is contributing to the project's work on system flexibility and digital solutions, including efficiency improvements and optimisation of hydrogen facilities.
Morten Solberg Watle, CEO of GreenH, underlined that building a new energy market takes time. Production capacity, infrastructure and demand must be developed in parallel, and early-stage investments require a long-term outlook and strong incentives.
GreenH is building and developing hydrogen facilities along the Norwegian coast, including in Bodø, Kristiansund, Slagentangen and Hammerfest, and sees NORHyWAY as an important step toward maturing the market further and reducing risk in larger industrial ventures.
Morten Solberg Watle, GreenH. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
A European breakthrough
Through Horizon Europe, NORHyWAY is linked to the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and Europe's other Hydrogen Valleys. The project gives Norwegian players access to European markets, standardisation and regulatory frameworks.
The Minister closed with a clear expectation:
"Congratulations to everyone involved in this project. I have very high expectations of you. Next time, the tough questions will come too — because we are, in fact, depending on this succeeding."
With NORHyWAY, a decisive step is taken from ambition to implementation. Norway is now part of Europe's most comprehensive effort in hydrogen as a zero-emission solution.
Bjørn Damhaug, CEO of Fremtidens Industri, welcomed guests at the press conference. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
The project is supported by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and its members.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.