Unlocking the Hydrogen Revolution: Stavanger Hosts the H2 Conference 2023

H2 Conference Norway 2023 was held in Stavanger, Norway on September 7th and 8th. The conference brought together international leaders and decision-makers to discuss and collaborate on the development of hydrogen value chains, Energy Transition Norway was proud to head the program committee with the chair of the cluster board, Tor Arnesen.

The H2 Conference Norway is the first large international hydrogen conference in Norway, and with a global outlook on valie chains, technology and business cases. The conference was held by Energy Transition Norway, ONS, Stavanger Business region and Stavanger Chamber of Commerce.

The program committee has received a lot of positive feedback on the conference overall, where the quality and diversity of speakers have been particularly highlighted. The questback survey is not yet complete, but so far, H2 Conference Norway 2023 has received an outstanding score of 5.3 out of 6 (with 6 being the maximum score).

Key insights from the conference include:

Funding Acceleration: Stephen Jackson from Hydrogen Europe highlighted the remarkable speed at which the new initiative the H2 bank was funded within the European Union, with the first auction taking place in November. Funding for hydrogen doubled from 1.6 billion euros to 3.2 billion euros within a year.

Evolving Hydrogen Perception: Maria de Kleijn from Kearny noted that the initial hype surrounding hydrogen is subsiding, leading to a more nuanced understanding of its complexities. Norway was recognized as a frontrunner in the hydrogen race.

UK’s Hydrogen Strategy: Paro Konar from the relatively new UK department for Energy Security and Net Zero shed light on the UK’s commitment to hydrogen, including the ambition to produce 10 MW of hydrogen by 2030. She emphasized the need for a thriving supply chain and certification schemes for low-carbon hydrogen for international trade.

Realism in Hydrogen: Ulrik Olbjørn of Equinor called for a more realistic outlook in the hydrogen sector, highlighting the adaptability of infrastructure for both green and blue hydrogen. Regulatory support and demand security were underscored.

Sustainable Aviation: Adrian Herberger from Airbus discussed the aviation industry’s efforts to develop sustainable aviation fuels, particularly “power to liquid” hydrogen. Airbus aims to have at least two airports with liquid hydrogen capacity by 2035.

Challenges in Steel Production: Henning Weege of thyssenkrup highlighted the challenges in decarbonizing the steel sector, which is responsible for a significant portion of CO2 emissions. Hydrogen’s role in green steel production was emphasized, with both green and blue hydrogen seen as crucial during the transition.

The hydrogen discussions will serve as a basis for the programme development towards ONS 2024, and further on to the next H2 Conference, autumn 2024 (date TBD).

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More on the full programme and speakers HERE.

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