Energy major Shell has thrown its weight behind a Norwegian project to provide hydrogen as a fuel for vessels.
The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kjell Inge Rokke's Aker Clean Hydrogen and Norwegian oil and gas company CapeOmega to develop the Aukra hydrogen hub in Nyhamna.
The idea is to explore opportunities to establish a large-scale production facility for clean hydrogen, using natural gas from Shell's Nyhamna gas processing plant.
"This is an important milestone for us. I'm very happy to have Shell on board as a partner together with CapeOmega on this project, as all three partners have a strong connection to the Nyhamna terminal," said Knut Nyborg, chief executive of Aker Clean Hydrogen.
The Rokke company earlier this year struck a deal with the Aukra local authority for exclusive rights to the project.
"Shell’s target is to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050. Joining forces with Aker Clean Hydrogen and CapeOmega to work on the exciting opportunities within the Aukra hydrogen hub is a natural step on our path towards reaching our target," a Shell spokesperson said.
Big plans for hub
Aker Clean Hydrogen aims to reach a net installed capacity of 5 GW by 2030, the company said.
Shell is also the operator of the Ormen Lange gas field on the Norwegian continental shelf and a shareholder in Northern Lights, a CO2 transport and storage project.
The group is a believer in hydrogen as a future fuel and has talked up its use over that of ammonia.
In April, the oil and gas giant said it was taking part in a feasibility study that will trial the use of hydrogen fuel cells for ships.
Shell added its analysis points to hydrogen with fuel cells as the zero-emissions technology that has the "greatest potential" to help shipping achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The trial will develop and install an auxiliary power unit Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell on an existing ro-ro vessel chartered by Shell.
The ship, which is owned by Singapore’s Penguin International, carries goods, vehicles and equipment on lorries between the city state's mainland and Shell’s Pulau Bukom manufacturing site.
