The project, which stretches across central Norway, aims to establish a fully integrated value chain covering production, distribution, storage, and diverse end-use.

Dubbed NorHyWay, it is led by research institutes, Sintef and Hydrogeni, and Renergy, a renewable energy cluster based in the city of Trondheim.

16 industrial partners in energy, transport, logistics, technology, and the maritime sector are also involved.

By linking some of the country’s hydrogen initiatives, it aims to produce and use 37,081 tonnes of hydrogen annually by 2035 to potentially cut 345,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

The Renergy cluster said hydrogen facilities run by its member, GreenH, at Kristiansund and Slagentangen could benefit from the new funding, as well as its 20MW plant in Bodø.

Other suggested uses of the funds include a new production facility in Hammerfest and further development of hydrogen transport corridors and advancing the use of the molecule for flexibility in the country’s energy grid.

Thomas Bjørdal, head of Renergy, highlighted the new investment as a breakthrough, recognising Norway’s potential in the hydrogen market.

“With NorHyWay, we will show Europe how we scale zero-emission solutions from piloting to a functioning market,” he continued.

Brussels increasingly sees hydrogen valleys as the most credible mechanism for converting hydrogen ambition into functional regional markets.