Agder stood out as a clear player at the hydrogen fair in Rotterdam, where 18,000 participants from all over the world gathered to discuss and showcase the latest in hydrogen initiatives.
Hardly any part of the country has more hydrogen projects than Agder.
With five known projects under development, Agder is at the forefront of hydrogen in Norway. Two of the projects are located in Kvinesdal, while the other three are in Kristiansand, Lillesand and Arendal respectively.
In addition, the region's largest energy company, Å Energi, has decided to build a hydrogen pilot project in Kongsberg, as a possible first step on the road to a major development of hydrogen production sites in southern Norway.
- There are hydrogen projects all over Norway, but almost no investment decisions have been made. This is where Agder stands out. In the last few months alone, companies in our region have decided to build two hydrogen production plants. Hardly anyone has come further than Agder," says Tanja Erichsen, head of the Agder H2 network.
The network brings together companies from all over Norway - but with a focus on Agder - that have, or want to find, their place in the hydrogen industry. This week, almost 20 people from the companies in the network were present at the World Hydrogen Summit & Exhibition in Rotterdam, together with representatives from the public sector in Agder. More than 18,000 people from all over the world met here to attend the conference and exhibition.
Highly visible at the Norwegian pavilion
From left: Ingrid Michalsen (deputy chairman, the Chamber of Commerce in the Kristiansand region), Ingebjørg Telnes Wilhelmsen (secretary general of the Norwegian Hydrogen Forum) and Tanja Erichsen (head of the Agder H2 Network).
- As at the hydrogen fair in Brussels last fall, Agder was once again one of the largest delegations at the Norwegian pavilion. "The delegation stands out strongly and has its natural place in the pavilion alongside players such as Equinor, Yara and DNV here in Rotterdam," says Erichsen.
The Southern Norway pavilion was organized and financed by Agder Hydrogennettverk, Invest in Agder and Business Region Kristiansand.
- "We're here to put Agder on the hydrogen map both nationally and internationally. It's important for us to build and maintain relationships with international players, regions and authorities. This positions Agder as an attractive location for business start-ups and expertise," says Geir Haugum, business manager in Kristiansand.
- We facilitate an arena that creates links and export opportunities for our business community, while at the same time staying up to date on what's happening and where the hydrogen industry is heading," adds Geir Hammersmark, head of Invest in Agder.
Meeting potential customers
The Netherlands. Origo Solutions is impressed with what is happening. - The whole world is exhibiting here with large pavilions that really show the speed this has gained. We have also met new potential customers who will be followed up after the fair," says Rune Lunde.
Aragea also sees its participation in Rotterdam as important. CEO Jan Erik Norli says they have met many new stakeholders and received relevant updates on technology and ecosystems. "The trip has given them more potential partners internationally, but has also been useful for building good contacts locally and nationally," says Norli.
Å Energi is among the members of the network that have found important partners through participation in trade fairs in Brussels and Rotterdam (read more about the case here).
Agder is a Norwegian center of gravity for hydrogen. In addition to the five known projects and the long-standing hydrogen production at Glencore in Kristiansand, several players in the region have announced that they are working on new hydrogen projects.
- Southern Norway is the coastline with the resources, transferable expertise from oil and gas, and a favorable location towards the European market. "We can see that Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands have come much further than Norway in the field of hydrogen. The relationships created here have given us good dialog with authorities and companies, as well as exciting development partners and potential customers from the leading regions in Europe in hydrogen development," says Alice Leland Høye of Business Region Kristiansand.
On June 5, the Agder H2 Network will follow up the international initiative with a new event in collaboration with the Norwegian-German Chamber of Commerce in Oslo in connection with the national Hydrogen Conference. On June 6, Kristiansand, together with Equinor, is invited to an energy debate in the Netherlands through the collaborations that have been created.
Agder up and Agder forward in the green shift.
